Touré, Sékou

Born Jan. 9, 1922, in Faranah. State and political figure of the People’s Revolutionary Republic of Guinea.

The son of a Malinke peasant, Touré attended a French technical lycée in Conakry in 1936 and 1937. In the late 1930’s and early 1940’s he worked for private companies and in the postal service. While still a youth, Touré became involved in trade union and political work. He was one of the organizers of the first trade unions in Guinea for African workers, and in 1946 he helped found the African Democratic Union. In 1952, Touré became the secretary-general of Guinea’s Party-State (until November 1978, the Democratic Party of Guinea), founded in 1947. From 1956 to 1958 he was a deputy to the French National Assembly. In November 1958 he became president of the independent Republic of Guinea; from 1958 to 1972 he was also head of the government. In 1961, Touré received the International Lenin Prize for Strengthening Peace Among Nations. He made official visits to the USSR in 1959, 1960, and 1965.

Touré is the author of numerous works on issues concerning the African peoples’ struggle for independence. In his writings, he maintains that African nations, particularly Guinea, must develop along noncapitalist lines.