Alioune Dramé (born c. 1921 - died 1 March 1977) was a Guinean economist and politician. He also served as an ambassador to Ivory Coast.[1]
Dramé served in the first council of the Politburo of the First Republic of Guinea as Minister of Economy and Finance from 1957.[2] In this role, he signed the first bank notes of the republic,[3] and established the Guinean franc in 1960.[4] Drame was made responsible for the plans for economic development of Guinea for the periods 1960-1963, 1964–1971 and 1973-1979.[5]
On April 24, 1975, Dramé delivered a letter from the president of Guinea, Ahmed Sékou Touré, to Gerald Ford addressing Guinea's food shortage and requesting assistance from the United States.[6] After the 1976 signing of PL 480 by the American government, Dramé returned to the United States on April 27, 1976 with a letter from the Guinean president to start the agreement between the Guinean and United States governments. During this agreement, Dramé led a team of Guinean representatives to negotiate the Title I and Title II food provided by PL 480.
Dramé was Minister of Planning when he was arrested on the night of 18/19 July 1976 and imprisoned at Camp Boiro.[7] At a press conference on 2 August 1976, Ahmed Sékou Touré announced the arrest in Conakry of Dramé and several other alleged plotters, including Telli Diallo, Alpha Oumar Barry and Lamine Kouyaté.[8] On 15 February 1977, Dramé was placed on the "black diet" while in Camp Boiro, which meant he was given no food or water until his death.[9] He died on 1 March 1977.[10]