2024-08-26 15:51:37
Get real-time updates directly to your device, subscribe now.
August 25, 1958 – August 25, 2024, 66 years ago, the father of Guinean independence, Ahmed Sékou Touré, gave his historic speech before General Charles de Gaulle.
“There is no dignity without freedom, we prefer freedom in poverty to opulence in slavery,” he hammered home in the room currently occupied by the High Authority of Communication, in Kaloum. Under pouring rain, armed with shovels, wheelbarrows, rakes and machetes, the PDG-RDA immortalized this date that still resonates in the hearts of Guineans and paid tribute to comrade Ahmed Sékou Touré and his companions. of struggle, through a day of sanitation at the mausoleum of Camayenne.
“Today is August 25, 2024. August 25, 1958, so 66 years ago, the fate of Guinea was sealed by the historic speech given by the comrade supreme leader of the revolution, Ahmed Sékou Touré. And we said to ourselves that the day must not go unnoticed. This is why many progressive movements, NGOs decided to accompany the national leadership of the PDG-RDA in order to give meaning to this day which must not go unnoticed. We felt that we had to come to the Camayenne Mausoleum where our national heroes rest. And that we could spend a day of cleaning up. And taking into account the very dilapidated state of the Mausoleum, since you have seen even the main entrance, since the baobabs fell the last time, the main entrance remains obstructed by all this waste that you see in front. But beyond that, the interior also needed a clean sweep so that it could be truly attractive to many visitors and loyal legionnaires who often come to pay their respects at the tomb of the founding fathers,” said the interim secretary general of PDG-RDA, Oyé Beavogui.
For him, this date is full of lessons for the new generation. “We think it is a historic and sacred day. And for us, the best way to pay tribute to the founding fathers was also to honor their memory by trying to grant this civic sense, this humanitarian work in the Mausoleum room. This symbolizes loyalty to the ideal that we have espoused, the revolutionary ideal. This proves the meaning of the oath that we are respecting with regard to the memory of the founding fathers. Because for us, from the moment that comrade Sékou Touré said that “we prefer freedom in poverty to opulence in slavery”, for us this choice remains eternal that we assume despite all the situations that we go through. This is also the adventures of life.”
As a special feature, a white handkerchief as a symbol added to the marketing.
“We really thank all the movements, the NGOs, the progressive movements, the Pan-Africanist citizens residing here in the city for participating in this mobilization. And as you can see, we made the white handkerchief the symbol of the day, to mark the symbol of purity, the symbol of dignity, so that the objective that we have set, which is the achievement of the African democratic revolution, is effectively conquered,” he declined.
At the end of the day of cleaning, the interim secretary general of the PDG-RDA, Oyé Beavogui, his companions as well as the members of the NGOs present shared a collective meal before paying their respects at the tomb of Almamy Samory Touré, M’balia Camara, Jeanne Martin Cissé, Hadja Mafory Bangoura, Alpha Yaya Diallo and other martyrs presented by Alpha Traoré, president of the youth of the African democratic revolution.
Beyond this sanitation, a conference was hosted by the Ahmed Sékou Touré Foundation.
May Cissé