A Bitter Divorce: When Guinea said "No" to France
Guinea became the first French West African colony to declare independence in 1958. French leader Charles De Gaulle did not take it well.
Guinea became the first French West African colony to declare independence in October 1958. In a referendum held throughout French colonies, Guinea had been the only nation to vote for independence. Guinea was led by the charismatic politician Sekou Toure who famously declared "We prefer poverty in freedom, than riches in slavery". The French government under General Charles De Gaulle reacted to the decision by cutting off aid, withdrawing French workers, and stripping Guinea of equipment and resources. Alex Last has been speaking to Professor Lansine Kaba, a Guinean historian who was in Guinea as a student in 1958.
Photo of Guinean leader, Sekou Toure, during a visit to London in 1959 (AFP/Getty Images)
Last on
More episodes
Broadcast
- Thu 28 Sep 2017 07:50GMT成人快手 World Service except News Internet
Featured in...
Witness Archive 2017—Witness History
History as told by the people who were there. All the programmes from 2017.
Podcast
-
Witness History
History as told by the people who were there