Sékou Touré presidential visit to the Republic of the Congo
Encyclopedia
Between June 5 and 6, 1963, the Guinea
n president Sékou Touré made an official visit to Brazzaville
, the capital of the Republic of the Congo
. He was received by the Congolese president Fulbert Youlou
. The visit sparked protests against the Congolese government, marking a beginning to the popular movement that would end Youlou's rule two months later.
Touré's visit followed a visit by Youlou to Guinea in 1962. During the visit economic cooperation between the two countries was discussed, and Touré pledged that Guinean bauxite and iron would be made availible for Congolese needs for industrialization.
At a speech at the Brazzaville City Hall, Touré denounced the reactionary policies and extravagant lifestyle of the Congolese leadership. He called on the peoples to overthrow the regimes of exploiters and imperialist lackeys. The speech was met with appalause and praise from Congolese trade unionists, who hailed him with slogans such as 'Long live the president of Africa! Youths and trade unionists took to the streets. Slogans raised included 'Long live the independence of Africa!', 'Down with Fulbert Youlou!' and 'Down with those who plunder the Congo'. These protests marked the beginning of more politicized trade union militancy.
Discontent with Youlou's rule continued to simmer. Following Touré's visit, Youlou sought to reach a compromise with trade unions and youth movements through power-sharing in a provisional government. However on August 13 a strike was declared, and Youlou's rule was finished during the wave of protests which came to be known as the Trois Glorieuses
.
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...
n president Sékou Touré made an official visit to Brazzaville
Brazzaville
-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...
, the capital of the 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...
. He was received by the Congolese president Fulbert Youlou
Fulbert Youlou
Abbé Fulbert Youlou was a Brazzaville-Congolese Roman Catholic priest, nationalist leader and politician.-Early life:...
. The visit sparked protests against the Congolese government, marking a beginning to the popular movement that would end Youlou's rule two months later.
Touré's visit followed a visit by Youlou to Guinea in 1962. During the visit economic cooperation between the two countries was discussed, and Touré pledged that Guinean bauxite and iron would be made availible for Congolese needs for industrialization.
At a speech at the Brazzaville City Hall, Touré denounced the reactionary policies and extravagant lifestyle of the Congolese leadership. He called on the peoples to overthrow the regimes of exploiters and imperialist lackeys. The speech was met with appalause and praise from Congolese trade unionists, who hailed him with slogans such as 'Long live the president of Africa! Youths and trade unionists took to the streets. Slogans raised included 'Long live the independence of Africa!', 'Down with Fulbert Youlou!' and 'Down with those who plunder the Congo'. These protests marked the beginning of more politicized trade union militancy.
Discontent with Youlou's rule continued to simmer. Following Touré's visit, Youlou sought to reach a compromise with trade unions and youth movements through power-sharing in a provisional government. However on August 13 a strike was declared, and Youlou's rule was finished during the wave of protests which came to be known as the Trois Glorieuses
Trois Glorieuses (1963)
The Trois Glorieuses was an uprising in Congo-Brazzaville which occurred August 13–15, 1963. The uprising ended the rule of the first Congolese President, Fulbert Youlou, as the opposition trade union movement and Congolese Youth Union struck an alliance with the army.-Background:Congo-Brazzaville...
.