Guinea: 60 years ago, a founding plot

Text by: Laurent Correau Follow

60 years ago the first details of a plot targeting the regime of President Sékou Touré broke out in Guinea. This “arms plot” was a founding moment for the governance of Sékou Touré. A moment of history to rediscover, on the occasion of confinement, in a major historical investigation to (re) read on RFI Savoirs.

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This April 19, 1960, Sékou Touré speaks to the executives of the PDG, the Democratic Party of Guinea. He denounces subversion activities "  encouraged by foreigners  ". In a press conference organized the following days, he described the installation of camps and ammunition depots at the borders of Senegal, Sudan (present-day Mali) and Côte d'Ivoire.

As the days went by, the elements became more precise: cases of weapons and ammunition were found in the Fouta Djalon, in the localities of Mali and Youkounkoun. People are arrested in Conakry and sentenced without their connection to this plot being demonstrated to the public.

The business rebounds in Senegal, where the authorities discover caches of weapons intended for the Guinean opposition. Going up the thread of this case, they find the trace of French officers of the 11th Shock, the armed wing of the French services, who supervised the whole operation before disappearing.

These discoveries are embarrassing to say the least when Paris' links with French-speaking Africa are being reconfigured within the framework of the "French Community". In a confidential letter sent on May 13 to Charles de Gaulle, the chairman of the Senegalese council Mamadou Dia challenged the French leader on a case that brought into play “  some of the moral foundations on which we wanted to build our renovated Community  ” and called for “  a purification of certain old military elements stationed in Dakar  ”.

“  The Senegalese, Sudanese and Malian governments  (The Mali federation, which at the time included Senegal and French Sudan, ed.), He specifies, will do everything in their power to ensure that the companies of these irresponsible n 'in no way alter the success of our new construction  '.

The operation, which code-named "Persil", actually involved personalities at the highest levels of the French authorities. In particular Jacques Foccart. The powerful Africa advisor de De Gaulle admitted to being linked to this plot in the interview book which collects his memories. 

Members of Operation Persil demisting a vehicle. Private collection of "Baton"

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