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| Boubakar Diallo Telli an African Hero
 Diallo Telli, as he come to be widely known, was born in 1925 in poredeka, a small locality in the heart of Fuuta Djallon, the historical theocratic Kingdom of the Fulani people, called also middle Guinea by the geographer .
After finishing his elementary and high School at home, in Guinea, which was under French colonial rule at that time, the young Fulani moved to Dakar Senegal. In there, he enrolled to the famous “Ecole William Ponty” in which the French West African intellectual elites prepare their future.
After he obtained his baccalaureate in 1946/1947, he entered l`ENFOM (Ecole France d`Outre-Mer.) where he has been a highly distinguished and very brilliant student
In 1951 he received his Licence en Droit, in 1954, his Doctorate in Law.
In 1954,after he received his Doctorate, Mr. Diallo moved back to Dakar to serve in the colonial administration where he held some of highest posts ever achieved by an African in French colonies in Africa. He was appointed Deputy of the Procureur (District Attorney) of the Republic at the Court of Thies, then he was made Chief de Cabinet (Chief of Staff) of the High Commissioner for French West Africa, and in 1957 he was Secretary-General of the Grand Council of French West Africa.
In 1958, when Guinea got back his Independence, Mr. DIALLO returned back to his home country to serve his people. When his country was admitted to the United Nations membership, he was appointed by the Guinean President ,Amadou Sekou Toure, as Guinea’s permanent representative to the UN. In 1962 Mr. DIALLO was elected one of the Vice Presidents of the seventeenth session of the UN General Assembly. He has been the chairman of the special committee on the policies of Apartheid of the government of the Republic of South Africa from April 1963 to 1964.
In 1963, thirty two African countries, freshly Independent, have meted at Addis-Adeba the capital of Ethiopia to ratify the chart of the newly born Organization of African Unity. The Organization was designed to help the member countries to speak in same voice in their internal and external affaires, and vis-à-vis the world community.
 In 1964 when the new Organization was to choose his first Secretary General, the name of BOUBACAR TELLI DIALLO was on everybody’s lips as the most suitable candidate for the job. Ironically his own county’s government was opposed to the idea.. President Amadou Sekou Toure wasn’t only suspicious to his diplomat, who he always regarded as being very close to France, but also very jealous to see such able man to be the personification of Guinea in the outside world. Nevertheless, Sekou Toure was convinced by his peers, chief among them, the Negus of Ethiopia Haile Selassie and his friend Nkume Kurma that Mr .Diallo was the man Africa needed to file the new post.
Despite his prestigious titles and brilliant career, the new task wasn’t easy for the new Secretary General .He has to shoulder the heavy responsibility of putting in place the organization, to hire the qualified personnel which couldn’t be done without some difficulty, to normalize the relation with UN where the newly independent African nations were to face their former colonial powers in several challenging issues. He cared on the battle against apartheid in South African Republic he already began to fight in UN.
In 1968 when his four years mandate came to term, he was re-elected, but not without difficulties. Once again, the essential support of his country’s government was lacking. Some of the head of states also charged him to be too politic where he was expected to be administrative, in charge of conducting the operational affaires of the organization. In 1972, when he finished his second mandate he didn’t manage to be re-elected.
The sad end
 The Guinean president, Amadou Sekou Toure, once held as hero by many African for tacking up General De Gaulle in the famous referendum of 28th September 1958 in which the Guinean have voted “NO” to union with France and “YES” for their total independence, has become a sanguinary dictator. Mr. Diallo, who knew well the dangerous detour which the powerful man of Conakry has taken, was hesitant about his return to his country. He knew that his name was in a list of people who are accused of being involved in an imaginary plot against the government, and many of these people are already in prison. Sekou Toure in his part was pushing for his return by putting heavy pressure on his family. Some African head of states also have promised him their eventual support in case some difficulties arise. Finally Mr. Telli decide to return back to his country despite the fact that his spouse was firmly opposed to his decision.
Upon his arrival in 1972 he was nominated Minister of Justice, a post he occupied until 1976. He deployed a lot of energy to his new post, as a trained magistrate he introduced some reforms in the civil law by changing them from French Civil Code to 100% Guinean Civil Code. He became member of PDG, Parti Democratique Guineen the ruling, and unique party in Guinea.
On July/18/1976 Mr. Telli has participated to a diner with the president at his palace in which the following conversation had taken place” My dear Telli, I have at least one quality that I should be recognized for, is to never let myself be taken by surprise.
Well, who want surprise you Mister President? Au revoir Telly!
After this strange conversation Mr. Telli went back home where he was arrested at 3:00 AM that morning for allegedly planning a coup d’etat against the President Sekou Toure.
One more time, an imaginary “Fulani complot,” was fabricated. The secret police has used their usual technique of “black diet”, forcing their victim to confess the allegation by torture and starvation. After seven and half month of cruelty in the sinister cell 52 of the infamous “Camp Boiro” Mr. Diallo resistance has ended one morning of March the first 1977. | |
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