Guinea

The struggle

Guinea was the only French territory to vote no in de Gaulle's 1958 referendum on joining a French Community. Sékou Touré's line — 'we prefer poverty in freedom to riches in slavery' — carried 95 per cent of the vote. France withdrew within weeks, stripping offices and cutting aid, and Guinea became independent on 2 October 1958 in deliberate isolation.

Key people

• Ahmed Sékou Touré

  1922–1984

  Trade unionist who led the no vote; first president

• Samori Touré

  1830–1900

  Resisted French conquest for sixteen years

• M'Balia Camara

  1929–1955

  Killed in 1955; became a martyr of the movement