During the conference on the theme: “Mamadou Dia, a commitment to the independence and development of Senegal”, held last Saturday in Dakar, the panelists largely covered the political career and economic vision of “First Maodo”.
This meeting, which marked the 16th anniversary of his death (January 25, 2009), also made it possible to reaffirm the importance of the legacy of the former President of the Government Council. The launch of the “Major Douta Seck Conferences” was an opportunity to celebrate the 16th anniversary of the death of the former President of the Council (1958-1962). During this meeting, the various panelists largely returned to the importance of preserving the memory of the former Mamadou Dia whose political work and vision can constitute a source of inspiration for the new generation. Thus they addressed his political program around self-managing socialism, his projects for modernizing the Senegalese economy and his political legacy.
For Adama Baytir Diop, a retired history teacher-researcher who retraced the political career of Mamadou Dia, the “First Maodo” is the very archetype of the model politician whose primary meaning of his action was the promotion of a participatory democracy at the service of all citizens. “Mamadou Dia is the champion of flawless moral integrity. Its mission was to fight against nepotism, cronyism and corruption, vestiges of the colonial system oppressive to the masses. His political commitment was structured around two elements: self-managing socialism in order to promote participatory democracy and liberate peasants, long victims of a system of subjugation, and the promotion of civic values to combat networks of personal interest. to the detriment of the people,” the panelist said.
According to Mr. Diop, this political project, based on sovereignism and nationalism, will be strongly opposed by a coalition of conservative forces. “Urban elites, business houses and certain maraboutic circles will rely on parliamentarians to fight and overthrow him. Thus, after the events of December 1962, he was sentenced to life in prison before being pardoned by President Senghor. After his release from prison, in 1974, he created the Political Democracy Movement (Mdp) which, in 1981, became the Movement for Salvation and Unity (Msu),” recalled Adama Baytir Diop.
The obstacles to Mamadou Dia’s political action For his part, Dr Ibrahima Dème, retired Cooperation inspector, indicated, in his presentation, that Mamadou Dia’s economic legacy can be measured by the yardstick of his attachment to the development of agricultural cooperatives. “Mamadou Dia, through agricultural cooperatives, wanted to highlight the community character of the African economy which is distinguished by a system of mutual aid and coordination of village communities.
-Furthermore, Mamadou Dia, who adopted Decree No. 60-177 of May 20, 1960 establishing the status of agricultural cooperatives, wanted to put an end to the control of trading houses and indigenous welfare societies over the agricultural world. Dia’s vision was the establishment of an economic organization based on autonomous agricultural cooperatives capable of managing all aspects related to production and which extend to the marketing of their products. For this, he will create the Agricultural Marketing Office and banking structures with the aim of facilitating access to credit for farmers,” he said.
For the panelist, this policy of training, supervision and financing in the rural world can serve as a model for the new authorities. Speaking, Alla Kane, member of the National Assembly and former head of the African Independence Party (Pai), returned to the limits of Mamadou Dia’s political action which, according to him, have prevented from implementing his vision of a sovereign and totally independent Senegal. “Mamadou Dia was invested with the historical, political mission of leading and organizing the constitution of a democratic state.
However, neither the Ups nor the neocolonial government had the objective of achieving the democratic revolution. Especially since his political commitment had prevented him from thinking about the creation of a strong national party, capable of launching the struggle for independence, in the interest of the national bourgeoisie,” said the parliamentarian. According to the oldest member of the 15th legislature, this absence of a well-organized party, with a clear program, determined leaders and executives, was its Achilles heel. “If he had left, after his arrest, a strong party, even in hiding, it could have engaged, in alliance with other political and democratic forces, the battle of mobilizing the masses through powerful demonstrations for “take it out of the hands of its jailers,” he concluded.
Mamadou Makhfouse NGOM
