FRENCH WEST AFRICA

The system of forced labour was extended in French West Africa during the war i.e. forced cultivation, Sow wages, Sow prices of export crops while cost of living doubted.

Racial segregation was started in French West Africa.

Once the war was won, the drive for change, i.e. a revolutionary change "self government'' now grew stronger. All the economic and social frustrations created by the war led to impatience.

Impatience increased after the war Europe concentrated upon her own reconstruction to the neglect of her empire.

This resulted in the establishment of new militant political parties: The United Gold Coast Convention and Convention Peoples Party in Ghana. The National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons. The Rassemblement Democratique African in French West Africa.

RASSEMBLEMENT DEMOCRATIC AFRICAIN (RDA) 1946

The French government showed much gratitude for the loyalty of the colonies on the gloomy days when Prance was under German domination. France was ready to make generous political concessions to her colonies.

However, French commercial firms and French settlers organised a "save the Empire" campaign which modified the early proposals.

After the war, French West Africans wanted to get out from under the status to subject and achieving citizenship.

In the constitution of 1946, all power remained in European bands

The status of citizen was extended to all Africans. In the same year, a conference on Bamako which drew 800 delegates from French Equatorial and West Africa, Felix Boigny formed a federation of parties called the Rassemblement Democratic African (RDA).

The RDA allied with the French community party because it was ant - colonial.

By 1950, it had 700,000 members and was the largest political organisation anywhere in Africa.

It was the dominant party of Ivory Coast, Mali, Guinea Cameroon and Chad. The leading party of Volta, Niger and Congo Brazzaville.

The colonial administration opened a reign of terror on the RDA because of its popularity and its affiliations to the communist party.

Its leaders were arrested, supporters persecuted, demonstrators stopped, newspapers closed and chiefs with RDA sympathizers deposed.

In these circumstances, Houphout Boigny broke his alliance with the communist party and compromised with the colonial administration.

The RDA emerged victorious in the elections of 1956 in every colony except Senegal and Mauritania.

Houphout was a citizen of ivory Coast which was the headquarters and main stronghold of the RDA.

Before the rise of RDA the Senegalese had been accustomed to thinking of themselves as he natural leaders of French West Africa. Senegal had a large elite member and dominated economically other territories.

1950, ivory Coast was challenging Senegal both economically and politically.

Opposition to RDA came from Leopold Seignior of Senegal! who organised all the opposition parties of West Africa against the RDA into a coalition.

1956, Loi Cadre (outline law) came into effect under Houphuet sponsorship. This gave much greater powers to the territories assembly of each colony while the Dakar Central government was weakened.

French West Africa consisted of 8 colonies in addition to the associated mandated territory of Togoland.

France and the support of Houphuet economic development was rapidly making Ivory Coast the wealthiest of the colonies and he was not happy to see poorer colonies sharing it

Once the Leicadre came into effect the branch parties of the RDA in each territory tended to grow and develop independently of the headquarters, in 1957, the RDA held a conference.

Sekou Toure of Guinea and Modibo Keita of Mali desired a strong independent federation which would maintain certain links with France.

Houphuet was attacked - for being far too cooperative with France. The trade unions were also critical of Houphouet's position in cabinet and also his support for the use of West Africa troops and French side in the Algerian war of liberation.

He also allowed a large number of Europeans to stand as RDA candidates.

More militant groups were attracted to Sekou Toure, a labour organizer who was less soft with French settlers and French firms.

1960. General de Gaulle came to power in France. He ordered a referendum in the French African colonies. The choice put before Africans was; either association with France as overseas departments; self - governing statehood with the French community and complete independence.

SEKOU TOURE AND GUINEA'S INDEPENDENCE.

Sekou Toure who became the leader of Guinea was born in 1922 the descendant of the famous Samouri Toure. (2)

He trained in African Communist study group as a trade unionist. He visited France to attend a communist trade union conference in 1946.

Upon his return, organised a strong inter - territorial Union movement in French West Ah-ca. He was a prominent figure in RDA (African government Rally). He was strong advocate of a federal government at Dakar with certain links with France-

Struggle for independence split RDA Sekuo led the Guinean section and called It Party Democratique Guinea (PDG.) which developed strongly on marxist lines.

In 1958, General De Gaulle (Leader of France) offered the colonies the choice between self government as individual Republics or immediate independence with no links with France. Sekou Toure advocated for none.

Sekou Toure drove Guinea to independence in 1958. French people and equipment were withdrawn from Guinea. Sekou Toure commented ' We prefer poverty in freedom to riches in slavery '.