Forty years after his death, Ahmed Sékou Touré, the father of Guinea's independence, is more popular than ever. For young people across West Africa in search of a hero, Sékou Touré could be what they're looking for. But this rehabilitation of the country's past dictator glosses over the tens of thousands of deaths attributed to his regime, with access to the notorious Camp Boiro concentration camp now closed to victims' families. Our correspondent Sarah Sakho reports.
Since the 2021 coup in Guinea, the name of Sékou Touré has resurfaced. From military speeches to commemorative gestures, the former president has become a symbol for the current regime. The current authorities have taken steps to restore Sékou Touré's residence and rename the national airport in his honour.
But as the "hero of independence" undergoes a revival, the military have remained silent on the crimes and darker side of Sékou Touré. In the capital Conakry, evidence of his regime's atrocities, such as Camp Boiro – a concentration camp where 50,000 people died – are being removed. Attempts to forget these crimes by removing proof of them are reopening wounds for Sékou Touré's victims. Many now fear that his crimes will be forgotten, and that history may repeat itself.
On the fortieth anniversary of Sékou Touré's death, we travelled to Conakry, where this attempt to rewrite history is unfolding.
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