Jean-Paul Alata
Encyclopedia
Jean-Paul Alata was a Frenchman
who was a political prisoner in Camp Boiro
, Guinea
from January 1971 to July 1975, later writing a book about his experience which was banned by the French government.
, Republic of the Congo
.
His father was of Corsica
n origin, but he considered himself a "white African".
His wife and mother of his children, Tènin, was a Malinké.
Alata was a member of the French Communist Party
.
He served in Senegal
for ten years before being dismissed for political reasons and moving to Guinea in 1955. At that time he was in sympathy with the socialist views expressed by Ahmed Sékou Touré
, who was to become the first President after Guinea gained independence from France in 1958.
He was one of the signatories of an appeal to "French Guineans" to vote against membership of a French West African union proposed by General Charles de Gaulle
.
He was appointed Director-General of economic and financial affairs for the Presidency.
In the early years of the republic he accepted the authoritarian nature of the regime as necessary during the evolution of a society divided into many ethnic groups towards socialism. Later he fell out of sympathy with Touré, leaving office in 1967 but remaining in his adopted country.
troops invaded Conakry
from the sea in a failed attempt to overthrow Touré's government. Following the attempt, many opponents of the regime were thrown into captivity in Camp Boiro and other detention centers.
Alata was arrested January 1971 on the grounds that he was an agent of France or the United States
, or a member of a neo-Nazi organization from West Germany
.
On two occasions he was tortured, he was forced to confess his guilt during interrogations, and he was repeatedly abused during his confinement. However, he escaped execution or death by starvation, the fate of many of the prisoners.
The book described in detail the brutal tortures and degrading practices that were routine in Camp Boiro.
On the orders of the French Minister of the Interior, Michel Poniatowski
, the book was banned from publication in France and had to be printed in Belgium.
The French authorities did not want to damage the improved relations with Guinea, and did not authorize publication in France until 1982.
The book was also banned in Guinea.
Alata appeared in the 1978 documentary about the Touré regime La danse avec l’aveugle (If You Dance with a Blind Man), which shattered the myth that Touré was a militant hero and exposed the brutality of the regime. The film won several awards.
Alata died in September 1978 in Abidjan
, Côte d'Ivoire
.
Some said that he was poisoned by his wife on the orders of Sékou Touré.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
who was a political prisoner in 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....
, Guinea
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...
from January 1971 to July 1975, later writing a book about his experience which was banned by the French government.
Early career
Alata was born on 17 August 1924 in BrazzavilleBrazzaville
-Transport:The city is home to Maya-Maya Airport and a railway station on the Congo-Ocean Railway. It is also an important river port, with ferries sailing to Kinshasa and to Bangui via Impfondo...
, Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
.
His father was of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
n origin, but he considered himself a "white African".
His wife and mother of his children, Tènin, was a Malinké.
Alata was a member of the French Communist Party
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
.
He served 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...
for ten years before being dismissed for political reasons and moving to Guinea in 1955. At that time he was in sympathy with the socialist views expressed by 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...
, who was to become the first President after Guinea gained independence from France in 1958.
He was one of the signatories of an appeal to "French Guineans" to vote against membership of a French West African union proposed by General Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
.
He was appointed Director-General of economic and financial affairs for the Presidency.
In the early years of the republic he accepted the authoritarian nature of the regime as necessary during the evolution of a society divided into many ethnic groups towards socialism. Later he fell out of sympathy with Touré, leaving office in 1967 but remaining in his adopted country.
Imprisonment
In November 1970, PortuguesePortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
troops invaded Conakry
Conakry
Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Conakry is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea with a 2009 population of 1,548,500...
from the sea in a failed attempt to overthrow Touré's government. Following the attempt, many opponents of the regime were thrown into captivity in Camp Boiro and other detention centers.
Alata was arrested January 1971 on the grounds that he was an agent of France or the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, or a member of a neo-Nazi organization from West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
.
On two occasions he was tortured, he was forced to confess his guilt during interrogations, and he was repeatedly abused during his confinement. However, he escaped execution or death by starvation, the fate of many of the prisoners.
Later career
In July 1975, France agreed to restore diplomatic relations with Guinea after several French prisoners were released from the camp, including Alata. After his release, he wrote a book Prison D'Afrique about his experiences.The book described in detail the brutal tortures and degrading practices that were routine in Camp Boiro.
On the orders of the French Minister of the Interior, Michel Poniatowski
Michel Poniatowski
Michel Poniatowski was a Polish Prince and French politician. He was a founder of the Independent Republicans and a part of the administration for President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. Poniatowski served as Minister of Health from 1973 to 1974 and Minister of the Interior in the d'Estaing government...
, the book was banned from publication in France and had to be printed in Belgium.
The French authorities did not want to damage the improved relations with Guinea, and did not authorize publication in France until 1982.
The book was also banned in Guinea.
Alata appeared in the 1978 documentary about the Touré regime La danse avec l’aveugle (If You Dance with a Blind Man), which shattered the myth that Touré was a militant hero and exposed the brutality of the regime. The film won several awards.
Alata died in September 1978 in Abidjan
Abidjan
Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro. it was the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and Kinshasa but before Montreal...
, Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
.
Some said that he was poisoned by his wife on the orders of Sékou Touré.