Oral History: Mr.Diallo (Hadja Diallo)

Abstract

In this interview, Mr.Diallo mentioned that there were positive and negative views  of  President Sekou Toure.  One of the negative things Sekou Toure did that had a huge impact in his life is that he was racist. Sekou Toure was so generous and kind, but he used segregation between the different tribes in Guinea.  Mr. Diallo was a victim of segregation between the Fulanis and the Mandingos tribes in Guinea, Africa. He was denied the access to go  abroad to study when he was in college.  While his other classmates were allowed to go abroad to pursue their dreams he was denied the access to make the dreams a reality simply because of his tribe..

Research

Ahmed Sekou Toure segregated the Fulanis because the were very smart, rich and had a larger population. The Fulanis in Fouta Jallon (the village were the Fulani ancestors were came from) were very smart. Chérif Manta Mady, told Sekou that the Fulanis were threat because of their power, wealth and education.  They might be the reason why he would lose his place as president.  Since then Sekou feared Fulanis. Since he didn’t get a chance to finish his education, he had a feeling that the future Fulanis will come and try to rule the land, so in order to stop them, he had to stop them from getting education. The only way to that was possible, to deny them the access to study outside of the land.

Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_S%C3%A9kou_Tour%C3%A9

http://www.webguinee.net/bibliotheque/histoire/andre-lewin/sekou-toure-president/volume-1/chapitre01.html

How did Sekou Toure rule as a presidente?

The positive rating, Sekou Toure had no diversion in cases of the state in the bank, in finance, and that the people do not steal his money in a very positive side, but they did not steal money, money had value, they did not have inflection. The rating of the employer is naive there's no lateness , if the student finish their study, They are all employed in good jobs.You understand? so that about it. And security, now also I’ve talked about the security. you can go around walking all night and even a fly won’t touch you. The people don’t come in the houses of other people, to break to destroy the houses of people, and stealing  whatever they want, and killing people, no. Or stopping on the roads to attack taxi drivers and they people inside of it,

Me: They still do that though?

Mr.Diallo: They had a total and very strong security. okay you understand? These are positive rating.

Negative rating now, is that Sekou Toure ... he recognize that every person that he thought could replace him at the place of being a president.  He would catch them and put them in prison.

Me: What put them in prison?

Dad: Yes, any high quadre, the people that studied well in schools, that have their diploma, that are so so good. He knows that they can validly take/replace his place, he fears that they will try to replace him. So he would  arrest them and they were forced to be killed. That’s the negative side about Sekou Toure.

Me: That’s sad

Mr.Diallo: He denied the access for all the Fulanis to go abroad and study

Me: Wow, why is that?

Mr.Diallo: Because they are fulanis

Me: Wait, only for fulanis?

Mr.Diallo: Only the fulanis! All the fulani students that had scholarships was decline. I was a victim, me that is talking to you right now.

Me: Awww!

Mr.Diallo: I was a victim! Your dad was a victime de racial segregations of Sekou toure. A had the scholarship to go to romany ut because I was fulanis I didn’t go.  like Sekou Toure until that year, that when I started hating Sekou Toure.

What can you tell me about Africa(Guinea)  that was scary back in your days? because I heard stories about it.

Mr. Diallo: Oh you know, umm scary… Africa scary back in my generation, don’t know what you’re trying to say, I don’t know what you mean by that, you are asking me about witches?

Me:Yes

Mr.Diallo: No, you know every people has their own culture, every people as their own tribes, their rules. That what differentiate the people. So in Africa we always talk about witches. Particularly in the African countries , we say this person is a witch, they can eat people, But is that cently proved?.. It’s not  scientifically proved. We can’t explained about that ciently. But in Africa in the villages when someone is sick, we say that it the witches that ate them, and the witch is the persons and or uncle, and their are the ones who ate them But isis true or is it a lie..

Me: That’s what they call black magic?

Mr.Diallo:  because it’s not scientifically proven, I don’t know. But It’s true that it exist in Africa, that promen of witches, they say there are people that eat other people.

Me: You know your little brother back in the village was eaten by the witches, they used black magic on him.

Mr.Diallo: My brother. No  he wasn’t eaten by the witches, it’s something else. But what I really believe exit is the les fetiche. When they tell you you are going to die and you are. They can kill you if they want. they can even make lighting when it’’s not raining.

Me: Is that still continued in African? Like do they still make that?

Mr.Diallo: yes, It’s still excite and it’s the most scariest thing about Africa.