Modibo Keïta

**Modibo Keïta** (4 June 1915 – 16 May 1977) na he be a Malian politician wey serve as de first Presido of Mali from 1960 to 1968. Na he espouse a form of African socialism. Na dem depose am insyd a coup d'état insyd 1968 by Moussa Traoré.

Na dem born den raise am insyd Bamako, na Keïta begin a career as a teacher insyd 1936 under French colonial rule before na he enter politics during de 1940s. Insyd 1945, na he co-found de Sudanese Union (US) plus Mamadou Konaté wich cam be part of de African Democratic Rally (RDA) de year wey dey follow make he form de US-RDA. Na dem elect am to chaw positions, na ein political prominence grow insyd de 1950s, den insyd 1959, na he cam be Prime Minister of de Mali Federation, a short-lived federation of Mali den Senegal. Dey follow de federation ein collapse insyd 1960, Mali cam be an independent state, wey Keïta cam de new country ein inaugural presido.

As Presido, na Keïta soon establish de US-RDA as de official party per, wey na e begin dey implement socialist policies wey base on extensive nationalization. Insyd foreign affairs, na Keïta support de Non-Aligned Movement wey maintain strong relations plus de West despite ein socialist leanings. A leading Pan-Africanist, na he play important roles insyd de drafting of de charter of de Organization of African Unity den de negotiation de 1963 Bamako Accords, wich end de Sand War between Morocco den Algeria.

During de late 1960s, dissatisfaction plus ein regime grow secof progressive economic decline den ein repressive responses to dissent. Na dem overthrow am insyd de 1968 Malian coup d'état by Moussa Traoré, wey succeed am as presido wey he send am to prison, wer na he die insyd 1977.

## Youth
Na dem born Keïta insyd Bamako-Coura, a neighborhood of Bamako, wich na at de time de capital of French Sudan. Na ein family be Malian Muslims wey dem claim direct descent from de Keita dynasty, de founders of de medieval Mali Empire. Na ein nickie after primary schooling be Modo. Na he educate insyd Bamako den at de école normale William-Ponty insyd Dakar, wer na he be top of ein class. Dey begin insyd 1936, na he work as a teacher insyd Bamako, Sikasso den Tombouctou. Na he marry Mariam Travélé, wey sanso be a teacher, insyd September 1939.

## Entering politics
Modibo Keïta dey join plenty groups. For 1937, e be di coordinator for art and theater crew. Together with Ouezzin Coulibaly, dem help create di Union of French West African Teachers.

Keïta don join the Communist Study Groups (GEC) crew for Bamako.

For 1943, he start L'oeil de Kénédougou, wey be magazine wey dey lash colonial rule. Dis one land am for prison for three weeks inside 1946 for Prison de la Santé for Paris.

For 1945, Keïta be candidate for de Constituent Assembly of French Fourth Republic, GEC and Sudanese Democratic Party dey support am. Later that same year, e and Mamadou Konaté come start de Bloc soudanais, wey later turn become de Sudanese Union.

## Political life
For October 1946, dem create African Democratic Rally (RDA) for one conference wey happen for Bamako, all di delegates wey come from French Africa. Félix Houphouët-Boigny dey lead di coalition, but Keïta take di position of RDA Secretary-General for French Sudan, and him be head of di Soudanese side: di US-RDA. For 1948, dem elect am as general councilor for French Sudan. For 1956, him become mayor of Bamako and join di National Assembly of France. Him serve two times as secretary of state under Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury and Félix Gaillard. Modibo Keïta come be di premier of Mali Federation for 1959. E dey elected as di constituent assembly president of di Mali Federation on 20 July 1960, wey include French Sudan and Senegal. Later, Senegal go comot from di federation. E be exceptional president.

## President of Mali

After Mali Federation scatter, US-RDA shout say Sudanese Republic don dey independent as Mali. Keïta be di first president, and sharp-sharp him talk say US-RDA na di only legal party.

President Keïta wey dey run Sudanese Union-African Democratic Rally (US-RDA) party, wey don dey control political scene before independence, quickly talk say e wan make single-party state and follow socialist policy wey go dey nationalize plenty things. As president, e give de party, Sudanese Union – African Democratic Rally, job to make state power strong so that country go fit modernize. De party na typical African style wey don gain independence - mix leftist ideas like Marxism, plus strong hold on our traditions plus Islamism. Keïta pull out from French Community and get tight relationship with Eastern bloc. As economy dey go down, e decide to join Franc Zone back for 1967 and adjust some of the wahala wey dey for economy.

As socialist, e lead him country make dem socialized di economy well; e start with agriculture and trade first, then for October 1960, e create SOMIEX (Malian Import and Export Company), wey get monopoly over Mali products dem wey dey export, plus dem food and manufactured goods wey dem dey import like sugar, tea, powdered milk, and how dem dey distribute am inside di country. Di Malian franc wey dem establish for 1962, plus di wahala wey come with supplying, bring serious inflation and people no dey happy, especially di farmers and di businessmen. Di authorities dey also try make tough anti-slavery policies, wey still dey happen for some parts of di country even after dem don ban am officially.

For June 1961, e go UK make dem give am honor as Knight Grand Cross for Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Queen Elizabeth II do am di honor. At first, US dey see am small-fear because him dey carry socialist mind, but him make am clear say e wan good relationship with Washington. For September 1961, e go America with President Sukarno, meet President John F. Kennedy. After that, Keïta feel say Kennedy be him paddy. E come back to US after di 1st Summit of di Non-Aligned Movement for Belgrade, FPR Yugoslavia, where dem send am make e talk di common matters to di American government.

E fit settle the wahala wey dey between Morocco and Algeria, and e go try form union between Ghana and Guinea. E dey work dey hard to make relations with Senegal better. E go also win the Lenin Peace Prize for di effort wey im put for Mali to rebuild di economy with socialism. But Mali dey face money and economy wahala wey bad pass because of di bad harvest wey happen for 1968, wey go later lead to coup.

For political matter, Modibo Keïta no wahala take arrest him enemies like Fily Dabo Sissoko. Di first election after independence for 1964 dey show one list of 80 US-RDA candidates wey enter National Assembly, and Keïta collect another term as president from di legislature. From 22 August 1967, e start di 'revolution active' plus put di constitution on hold by setting up di National Committee for di Defense of di Revolution (Comité national de défense de la révolution, CNDR). Di wahala wey di 'milice populaire' (di US-RDA militia) cause plus di bad value of Malian franc for 1967 bring plenty unrest.

For 19 November 1968, General Moussa Traoré shake Modibo Keïta from power for one coup, and carry am go prison for northern Mali town wey dem dey call Kidal.

After dem carry am back to Bamako for February 1977, dem talk say na government way to make peace before dem go free am, Modibo Keïta still dey inside prison when e die on May 16, 1977. Dem clear hin name for 1992 when dem overthrew Moussa Traoré and Alpha Oumar Konaré win election. Dem build monument for Modibo Keïta for Bamako on June 6, 1999.

## As a Pan-Africanist

Modibo Keïta use him whole life push African unity. E first join hand with Léopold Sédar Senghor to create Mali Federation. When e scatter, e no dey follow Léopold again, but e team up with Sékou Touré wey be Guinea president and Kwame Nkrumah, the Ghana president, to form Union of States for Western Africa. For 1963, e play big role for theOrganization of African Unity (OAU). charter wey dem draft.

For 1963, e invite king of Morocco plus president of Algeria come Bamako make dem fit end Sand War, wey na border yawa between de two countries. Together with Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, Keïta manage run things wey bring Bamako Accords come, wey stop de fight. As e be so, e win de Lenin Peace Prize dat year.

From 1963 to 1966, e make friendship with countries like Senegal, Upper Volta and Côte d'Ivoire. As him dey support Non-Aligned Movement, Modibo dey stand for nationalist wahala like Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN).

## Insyd literature
Malian author Massa Makan Diabaté dey satirize Keïta ein presidency insyd ein 1979 novel *Le boucher de Kouta* (*The Butcher of Kouta*), wich dey feature a socialist, dictatorial president dem name "Bagabaga Daba" (literally, "ant plus a big mouth"), wey dem later remove am by a military coup.

## References

## External links

*modibokeita.free.fr: Site devoted to Modibo Keita : portrait, discussion, photos, and videos.
*Article du journal Le Flambeau Bamako, Mali.(Organe de la Jeunesse Union Africaine – Mali): Modibo Keita "Notre liberté serait un mot vide de sens si nous devions toujours dépendre financièrement de tel ou tel pays".