Diallo Telli
Encyclopedia
Boubacar Diallo Telli was a Guinea
n diplomat and politician. He helped found the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and was the first secretary-general of the OAU between 1964 and 1972. After serving as Minister of Justice in Guinea for four years he was executed by starvation by the regime of Ahmed Sékou Touré
at Camp Boiro
in 1977.
, Guinea. He was of Fulani origin. He studied for his baccalauréat at Dakar
, and then went to the École Nationale de la France d'Outre-Mer
, in Paris
, France
.
In 1951 he received his Licence en Droit, and in 1954 his Doctorate in Law. That year he was appointed Deputy of the Procureur (District Attorney) of the Republic at the Court of Thiès
in Senegal
.
He was then appointed to the court in Cotonou
, Benin
(then Dahomey).
In 1955, he became head of the Office of High Commissioner of French West Africa
(AOF) in Dakar, which was the highest position held by an African in the French colonial period. He became Secretary General of the AOF in April 1957 and remained in that post for eighteen months.
as Permanent Representative of Guinea at the United Nations
. He held that position until June 1964 with a break between June 1960 and March 1961.
He was also Ambassador to the United States from April 1959 to June 1961.
When the Organization of African Unity was established in Addis Ababa
, Telli was appointed the first Secretary General, holding that office for two terms from July 1964 until June 1972.
The job was difficult, if not impossible, since it involved negotiating a common viewpoint among the many leaders of African states, each of whom had different opinions.
In an article published in the Fall of 1965, Telli acknowledged the difficulties and disputes but asserted that the organization had a flexible enough structure to deal with these problems, and asked what would have happened if there had been no OUA.
At times Telli was criticized for his outspokenness. Some criticized him for pushing Sékou Touré's views too strongly.
In July 1968 it was reported that he was unlikely to be appointed for a second term since he had not shown neutrality.
A report on the OAU summit in Algiers in September 1968 covered Telli's position on the Nigerian Civil War
. Although the members generally supported Federal Nigeria, some countries such as Ivory Coast, Tanzania
, Zambia
and Gabon
recognized Biafra
.
Overall, Telli was a strong and respected spokesman for the OAU.
of Cameroon
as OAU Secretary-General.
Telli returned to Guinea and was appointed Minister of Justice on 21 August 1972.
His decision to return to Guinea was puzzling. He had many other offers from African heads of state and international organizations. He would also be in danger. Some people in Guinea even thought that Sékou Touré had used occult means to lure him back.
According to Andre Lewin, Touré's biographer, Telli was the only person who could potentially challenge Touré in his Presidency. Therefore Touré felt a special need to destroy him.
As Minister of Justice, at a conference at the University of Conakry, he stated that justice was the key that opened all doors, and urged students to pursue legal studies.
However, Telli obeyed party directives and was the author of the law of June 1973 that removed all independence from the judiciary, creating people's courts at the village and neighborhood levels. His technical counselor at the time said that Telli was "naive, very nervous, often super-exited, very careless in his words and actions, full of candor and disordered in his work." After the reconciliation between France and Guinea in July 1975, Sékou Touré suggested, at a meal celebrating the occasion, that Telli could be a suitable candidate to be Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Mamadi Keïta
, the President's brother-in-law, was head of the commission of inquiry that condemned Telli.
Telli was accused of leading a plot by Fulanis against the state of Guinea.
He was subjected to intense interrogations, torture and an inadequate diet.
After the second torture session, Telli was shattered and agreed to sign a "confession" of his treason.
This was an incoherent document even after editing by the tribunal.
In February 1977 five prominent prisoners were killed through the "black diet" (no food or water): Diallo Telli, ex-ministers Barry Alpha Oumar and Dramé Alioune, and army officers Diallo Alhassana and Kouyate Laminé.
The OAU did not react to the death of their former Secretary General.
However, the disappearance of Telli, a widely respected international diplomat known for his dignity and good nature, did contribute to growing international awareness of the abuses of the Touré regime.
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
n diplomat and politician. He helped found the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and was the first secretary-general of the OAU between 1964 and 1972. After serving as Minister of Justice in Guinea for four years he was executed by starvation by the regime of Ahmed Sékou Touré
Ahmed Sékou Touré
Ahmed Sékou Touré was an African political leader and President of Guinea from 1958 to his death in 1984...
at Camp Boiro
Camp Boiro
Camp Boiro or Camp Mamadou Boiro is a defunct Guinean concentration camp within Conakry city.During the regime of President Ahmed Sékou Touré, thousands of political opponents were imprisoned at the camp....
in 1977.
Early career
Diallo Telli was born in 1925 in PorédakaPorédaka
Porédaka is a town and sub-prefecture in the Mamou Prefecture in the Mamou Region of Guinea.-References:...
, Guinea. He was of Fulani origin. He studied for his baccalauréat at Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, and then went to the École Nationale de la France d'Outre-Mer
École nationale de la France d'Outre-mer
The École Nationale de la France d'Outre-Mer was a French grande école, providing training for future colonial administrators...
, in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
In 1951 he received his Licence en Droit, and in 1954 his Doctorate in Law. That year he was appointed Deputy of the Procureur (District Attorney) of the Republic at the Court of Thiès
Thiès
Thiès is the third largest city in Senegal with a population officially estimated at 320,000 in 2005. It lies 60 km east of Dakar on the N2 road and at the junction of railway lines to Dakar, Bamako and St-Louis...
in Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
.
He was then appointed to the court in Cotonou
Cotonou
-Demographics:*1979: 320,348 *1992: 536,827 *2002: 665,100 *2005: 690,584 The main languages spoken in Cotonou include the Fon language, Aja language, Yoruba language and French.-Transport:...
, Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
(then Dahomey).
In 1955, he became head of the Office of High Commissioner of French West Africa
French West Africa
French West Africa was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan , French Guinea , Côte d'Ivoire , Upper Volta , Dahomey and Niger...
(AOF) in Dakar, which was the highest position held by an African in the French colonial period. He became Secretary General of the AOF in April 1957 and remained in that post for eighteen months.
Diplomat
After the referendum of 28 September 1958, in which Guinea chose independence from French West Africa, Telli was sent to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as Permanent Representative of Guinea at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. He held that position until June 1964 with a break between June 1960 and March 1961.
He was also Ambassador to the United States from April 1959 to June 1961.
When the Organization of African Unity was established in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, Telli was appointed the first Secretary General, holding that office for two terms from July 1964 until June 1972.
The job was difficult, if not impossible, since it involved negotiating a common viewpoint among the many leaders of African states, each of whom had different opinions.
In an article published in the Fall of 1965, Telli acknowledged the difficulties and disputes but asserted that the organization had a flexible enough structure to deal with these problems, and asked what would have happened if there had been no OUA.
At times Telli was criticized for his outspokenness. Some criticized him for pushing Sékou Touré's views too strongly.
In July 1968 it was reported that he was unlikely to be appointed for a second term since he had not shown neutrality.
A report on the OAU summit in Algiers in September 1968 covered Telli's position on the Nigerian Civil War
Nigerian Civil War
The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War, 6 July 1967–15 January 1970, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the southeastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra...
. Although the members generally supported Federal Nigeria, some countries such as Ivory Coast, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
and Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
recognized Biafra
Biafra
Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a secessionist state in south-eastern Nigeria that existed from 30 May 1967 to 15 January 1970, taking its name from the Bight of Biafra . The inhabitants were mostly the Igbo people who led the secession due to economic, ethnic, cultural and religious...
.
Overall, Telli was a strong and respected spokesman for the OAU.
Minister of Justice
In June 1972, Telli was succeeded by Nzo EkangakiNzo Ekangaki
Nzo Ekangaki was a Cameroonian political figure. He served as the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity from 1972 to 1974....
of Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
as OAU Secretary-General.
Telli returned to Guinea and was appointed Minister of Justice on 21 August 1972.
His decision to return to Guinea was puzzling. He had many other offers from African heads of state and international organizations. He would also be in danger. Some people in Guinea even thought that Sékou Touré had used occult means to lure him back.
According to Andre Lewin, Touré's biographer, Telli was the only person who could potentially challenge Touré in his Presidency. Therefore Touré felt a special need to destroy him.
As Minister of Justice, at a conference at the University of Conakry, he stated that justice was the key that opened all doors, and urged students to pursue legal studies.
However, Telli obeyed party directives and was the author of the law of June 1973 that removed all independence from the judiciary, creating people's courts at the village and neighborhood levels. His technical counselor at the time said that Telli was "naive, very nervous, often super-exited, very careless in his words and actions, full of candor and disordered in his work." After the reconciliation between France and Guinea in July 1975, Sékou Touré suggested, at a meal celebrating the occasion, that Telli could be a suitable candidate to be Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Death
On 18 July 1976, Diallo Telli was arrested at his home and imprisoned at Camp Boiro.Mamadi Keïta
Mamadi Keïta
Mamadi Keïta was a leading Guinean politician and member of the Politburo of the First Republic of Guinea.-Early years:Mamadi Keïta was born in Kankan in 1933....
, the President's brother-in-law, was head of the commission of inquiry that condemned Telli.
Telli was accused of leading a plot by Fulanis against the state of Guinea.
He was subjected to intense interrogations, torture and an inadequate diet.
After the second torture session, Telli was shattered and agreed to sign a "confession" of his treason.
This was an incoherent document even after editing by the tribunal.
In February 1977 five prominent prisoners were killed through the "black diet" (no food or water): Diallo Telli, ex-ministers Barry Alpha Oumar and Dramé Alioune, and army officers Diallo Alhassana and Kouyate Laminé.
The OAU did not react to the death of their former Secretary General.
However, the disappearance of Telli, a widely respected international diplomat known for his dignity and good nature, did contribute to growing international awareness of the abuses of the Touré regime.