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Information About

African Democratic Rally





BACKGROUND

In the 1940s, the French faced increasing resistance to their rule in West Africa . Following negotiations in 1944 between Free France and colonial representatives, the French government issued the Brazzaville Declaration . While insisting on French sovereignty, the document also granted the colonies semi-autonomous assemblies and the rights of full French citizens.


FORMATION AND DOMINANCE

In 1946 , the new Fourth Republic constitution allowed African representatives to set in the Paris's National Assembly . A number of nationalist parties came together to form the RDA at a congress in Bamako on October 18-21, 1946 . The call for the Bamako congress came from the GEC in Dakar .

Initially RDA was politically radical, with ties to the French Communist Party (PCF). Under Houphouët-Boigny's leadership RDA turned increasingly moderate and pro- France . The link to PCF was broken in 1955 .

Sections of RDA included:

RDA ceased to function as a pan-African party as Houphouët-Boigny turned hostile towards the idea of African federalism. Many of its former sections still use RDA in combination with their own names.


PROMINENT MEMBERS



REFERENCES

  • Davidson, Basil. ''Africa in History''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995.