Modibo Keïta and the vision of a united Africa

What you need to know:

  • As a socialist, Modibo Keïta led his country in putting all means of production under the state in a progressive socialisation of the economy in which the command economy was introduced in Mali. He was a resilient pan-African in his foreign policies as, for instance, and defended the nationalist movements like the National Liberation Front (FLN) of Algeria in its liberation activities and also helped in bringing reconciliation to his neighbours. 

The vision of united African Continent and the pan-African movement is a story of the first generation of visionary leaders that include Modibo Keïta of Mali. In this second part of the series of articles about Modibo Keïta the first President of Mali and a firm pan-African we continue to look at his leadership story - one of the great pan-African Leaders who wanted Africa to be one great Nation – the United States of Africa. .

From 1960 to 1964 in his leadership as president, Keita was a socialist in his political ideology regarding socio-economic development. As a socialist, he led his country in putting all means of production under the state – it was a progressive socialization of the economy in which the command economy was introduced in Mali. State owned parastatals monopolised all sectors of the economy. Unfortunately, the state run economy brought economic difficulties in Mali including and the population and especially peasants and businessmen were highly dissatisfied by his leadership.

Apart from his failure in internal administration he was a resilient pan-African in his foreign policies as for instance Keïta defended the nationalist movements like the National Liberation Front (FLN) of Algeria in its liberation activities. He also helped in bringing reconciliation to his neighbours.

For instance in 1963, Keïta succeeded to negotiate the Bamako Accords that brought an end to the Sand War conflict between Morocco and Algeria. Again, between 1963 and 1966, he managed to normalized relations with Senegal, Upper Volta and Côte d’Ivoire. He also played a leading role in the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963.

However, by 1964, Keïta’s rule was very unpopular and although he was re-elected to another term as president, his Government was authoritarian and from 1967 he started the so called “Active Revolution” by which he suspended the Constitution of Mali and created the National Committee for the Defence of the Revolution (CNDR).

Nevertheless; the abolishment of US-RDA party and the inflation that brought the devaluation of the Malian Franc in 1967 caused a general unrest in Mali that culminated into the overthrow of Modibo Keïta in a coup d’état by General Moussa Traoré on the 19th November, 1968.

Modibo Keïta was imprisoned by Traoré in Kidal prison in Northern Mali and in February 1977, he was brought back to the capital Bamako by the government towards a national reconciliation that was to lead into his eventual release. Unfortunately, on the 16th May 1977, Modibo Keïta died in prison before the completion of the reconciliation process.

Although the pan-African Modibo Keïta was removed by force from office and died in disgrace; his reputation was restored in 1992 when Moussa Traoré was overthrown and Alpha Oumar Konaré was elected President who immediately recognized Modibo Keïta as a founding father of the Mali nation and on the 6th June 1999 he erected a monument in honour of this great pan-African in Bamako. His pan-African legacy lives on and we live to recount his bequest in this narrative.

The pan-African Modibo Keïta believed that before the unification of the African Continent come to force, it was imperative to liberate all countries which were still under colonial domination.

To this he once said: “…What is happening in Angola, in Mozambique, in Southern Rhodesia, and in South Africa, challenges the validity of all that we proclaim, opposes the most legitimate aspirations, and obtrudes itself as an insult to all our African soul. …We must decide here and now to recruit volunteers in our countries for the liberation of these territories; and must induce governments to contribute to a common solidarity fund to support our brothers engaged in the fight for liberation. …

If we really desire to achieve African unity, based essentially in the first instance on confidence between one another, it is essential that this situation should be solved; we can recommend that African unity be preceded by national freedom…”

Dr Kafumu is the Member of Parliament for Igunga Constituency