Ahmed Sékou Touré
Ahmed Sékou Touré (var. Sheku Turay or Ture; N'Ko: ߛߋߞߎ߬ ߕߎ߬ߙߋ; January 9, 1922 – March 26, 1984) was a Guinean political leader and African statesman who became the first president of Guinea, serving from 1958 until his death in 1984. Touré was among the primary Guinean nationalists involved in gaining independence of the country from France. He would later die in the United States in 1984.
Ahmed Sékou Touré | |
|---|---|
Touré in 1962 | |
| 1st President of Guinea | |
| In office October 2, 1958 – March 26, 1984 | |
| Prime Minister | Louis Lansana Beavogui |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Louis Lansana Beavogui |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 9, 1922 Faranah, French Guinea |
| Died | March 26, 1984 (aged 62) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) | Marie N'Daw (1947–1952) Andrée Touré (1953–1984) |
| Children | Aminata Touré, Mohamed Touré |
| Parents |
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Guinea |
A devout Muslim from the Mandinka ethnic group, Sékou Touré was the great-grandson of the powerful Mandinka Muslim cleric Samori Ture who established an independent Islamic polity in part of West Africa. In 1960, he declared his Democratic Party of Guinea (Parti démocratique de Guinée, PDG) the only legal party in the state, and ruled from then on as a virtual dictator. He was re-elected unopposed to four seven-year terms in the absence of any legal opposition. Under his rule many people were killed, including at the notorious Camp Boiro.