Adama Touré (PAI general secretary)

**Adama Abdoulaye Touré** (1936 – 26 October 2012) be a Burkinabé politician. Touré be a radical student activist wey na he cam be a leading member of de communist African Independence Party (PAI), wey he go cam be de leader of de party insyd Burkina Faso. He be a teacher at a military academy wey na he play a significant role insyd forming de ideological outlook of military leaders wey go govern de country after de 1983 revolution. Na he serve as Minister of Information insyd de revolutionary government 1983–1984, buh na dem imprison am after de split between PAI den de military. He be known by de nickname "Lénine".

## Youth
Dem born Touré insyd 1936 insyd Kampti (today insyd Poni Province, then insyd Ivory Coast, French West Africa). Na he attend primary school from 1944 to 1950. Na he study de Modern Colleges of Bobo-Dioulasso den Ouagadougou from 1951 to 1959, wey na he obtain a baccalaureate degree. Na dem elect am as de representative of de pupils at de Modern College of Bobo-Dioulasso insyd 1953. Insyd 1956, na he cam be de presido of de Kampti Pupils Fraternal Union (UEFK). Na dem sanso elect am as de representative of de pupils at Modern College of Ouagadougou.

## Senegal years
Insyd 1959, na he enroll insyd de University of Dakar. Na he be de chairman of de Voltan Scholarly Association (ASV) of Dakar from 1961 to 1965. He later serve as secretary of de Voltan section of de General Students Union of West Africa (UGEAO) from 1962 to 1966. As an UGEAO student activist, he join de African Independence Party (PAI) insyd May 1962.

He obtain a degree insyd history den geography, as well as a Diploma of Higher Studies on de resistance to de recruitment of Upper Voltan riflemen during World War I. He work as a history den geography teacher at de Ecole Normale des Jeunes Filles insyd Thiès from 1966 to 1967.

## Return to Upper Volta
Insyd 1967, he return to Upper Volta, den begin teaching at de Preparatory Military School [fr] (today de PMK military school). Insyd 1969 he be appointed as director of de Ecole Normal des Instituteurs et Institutrices de Ouagadougou. Insyd 1971, PAI organized an anti-imperialist protest against de visit of Ivorian president Félix Houphouët-Boigny, after which Adama be dismissed from ein teaching post. Later de same year, he return to teaching at de PMK military school (where he would remain until 1981). He will serve as studies director at PMK. Ein style of teaching differ greatly from de French teachers dat remain at de institution; he give lectures on de events of de French, Russian, Algerian den Vietnamese revolutions den earn de nickname 'Lénine' from de students at PMK.

## Influence on Sankara
Ein students at de PMK military school included de young cadets Thomas Sankara den Blaise Compaoré. Touré later become Sankara ein political mentor; per Bruno Jaffré [ca], "[t]he one who opened de eyes of President Thomas Sankara to de class struggle be Adama Touré, nicknamed Lenin, teacher insyd history den geography, studies director at Prytanée militaire de Kadiogo (PMK) during President Sankara ein time at de establishment". Brian J. Peterson stated dat "[i]t's difficult to overstate de importance of Adama Toure insyd de political education of Sankara den ein peers, who were still callow youth looking for direction. During de revolution, Sankara took ein distance from Toure den downplayed ein former teacher ein influence insyd a bid to consolidate power. However, those who knew Sankara well during de PMK years agree dat Toure had a tremendous influence on Sankara ein intellectual formation".

## PAI leader
An activist insyd de National Union of African Teachers of Upper Volta (SNEAHV) den later de Voltan Unitary Trade Union of Secondary den Higher Education Teachers (SUVESS), Touré be a co-founder of de Voltan Trade Union Confederation (CSV) insyd September 1974.

Insyd 1975, de PAI leader Amirou Thiombiano unexpectedly died. Adama Touré take over de post as de Upper Voltan PAI general secretary, den inducted Philippe Ouédraogo den ein relative Soumane Touré into de PAI Executive Committee. Under Adama ein leadership, as de liberation wars insyd Guinea-Bissau, Angola den Mozambique were winding down, PAI shifted ein focus to domestic politics. PAI built mass movements, plus de Patriotic League for Development (LIPAD) movement bringing de influence of de underground PAI out of de shadows. He remain insyd de post as general secretary of PAI until 1990.

After leave de PMK military school, he served as Director of General Secondary Teaching, later Director of General den Technical Secondary Teaching from 1981 to 1983.

## Government minister den imprisonment
On 24 August 1983, he was named Minister of Information, being one of five LIPAD-PAI cabinet ministers insyd de new revolutionary government. During May–June 1984 Touré be on a tour of Europe, during which he speak publicly on de tensions between LIPAD den de militaries insyd de government.

Touré be dismissed from de government insyd August 1984. He be detained insyd October 1984. Insyd early November 1984 Touré be transferred to a Sûreté générale police post, where he meet fellow PAI prisoners Hama Arba Diallo den ein name-sake Adama Touré. He be released from detention on 3 February 1986, along plus Adama Touré.

## Later years
He work as de History den Geography Cell at de Burkina Pedagogical Institute between 1987 den 1989. He become de founding director of Lycée Privé de la Jeunesse insyd 1990. Touré die during de night between 26 den 27 October 2012.

De Adama Abdoulaye Touré Foundation for Science den Education (*Fondation Abdoulaye Adama Touré pour la science et l'éducation*) be established insyd 2014, insyd honour of Adama Touré.

## References