The Cabinet of the First Republic of Guinea was the governing body of Guinea from independence on 28 September 1958 until the death of President Ahmed Sékou Touré on 26 March 1984, followed by a bloodless coup by Colonel Lansana Conté on 3 April 1984. For much of that time, the country was run by a tight-knit inner group, many of them relatives of Sékou Touré, who became the primary beneficiaries of the regime.
The council during the transition to independence, announced on 9 May 1957, had the following members:
| Name | Background | Function | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governor of the FOM | President of the Council | ||
| Vice-president | |||
| Doctor | Minister of health | ||
| Artist | Minister of the Interior | ||
| Economist | Minister of Finance | ||
| Teacher | Minister of Public Affairs | ||
| Minister of TP | |||
| Doctor | Minister of Cooperation | ||
| Teacher | Minister of Labor and Social Affairs | ||
| Jean Eugene Mignard | Minister of Production | ||
| Inspector | Minister of Education (1st and 2nd level) | ||
| Michel Collet | Minister of Technical Education | ||
| Doctor | Minister of Commerce, Industry and Mines |
The first council after independence, announced on 10 November 1958, had the following members:[1]
| Name | Function | |
|---|---|---|
| President, Foreign Affairs and Defense | ||
| Secretary of State | ||
| Secretary of State to Presidency | ||
| Secretary of State to Presidency | ||
| Minister of Finance to Presidency | ||
| Secretary of State, Customs and Treasury | ||
| Minister of the Interior, Security | ||
| Secretary of State, Information | ||
| Minister of Justice | ||
| Ismael Touré | Minister of TP, PTT, Transport | |
| Minister of Economic Affairs & Planning | ||
| Minister of Rural Economy | ||
| Minister of Education | ||
| Minister of Technical Training | ||
| Minister oh Health | ||
| Minister of Labor and Social Affairs |
The 1963 council, announced on 1 January 1963, included the following members:
| Name | Function | |
|---|---|---|
| Minister of State of Justice | ||
| Secretary of State | ||
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | ||
| Minister of National Defense | ||
| Minister of Economy, TP, Industry, Energy and Uranism (?) | ||
| Secretary of the Environment | ||
| Minister of Health and Social Affairs | ||
| Secretary of State for Social Affairs | ||
| Minister of Finance | ||
| Minister of Trade | ||
| Minister of Rural Economy | ||
| Minister of Planning | ||
| Minister of National Education and Youth | ||
| Minister of Public Affairs | ||
| Minister of PT, Information and Tourism | ||
| Secretary of State for Information | ||
| Minister of Transport |
On 1 February 1964 some ministers changed jobs:
| Name | Function | |
|---|---|---|
| Minister of State for Finance & Planning | ||
| Minister of Justice | ||
| Minister of Commerce | ||
| Vice-president | ||
| Minister of Finance & Administration |
On 8 November 1964 the positions were announced as:
| Name | Function | |
|---|---|---|
| President and Head of State | ||
| Secretary of State, Information and Tourism | ||
| Secretary of State, Justice | ||
| Minister of State, Finance and Planning | ||
| Secretary of State and Minister of State | ||
| Minister of Economic Development | ||
| Foreign Affairs | ||
| Sectretary for Economic Development | ||
| Minister of Trade and Banking | ||
| Minister of Defense and Security | ||
| Secretary of State for National Defense and Security | ||
| Minister of Internal Trade | ||
| Minister of Public Affairs and Labor | ||
| Secretary of State for Labor | ||
| Minister of Education | ||
| Minister of Posts and Telecommunications | ||
| Minister of Rural Economy | ||
| Minister of Transport | ||
| Minister of Health and Social Affairs | ||
| Secretary of State for Social Affairs | ||
| Minister for Kankan | ||
| Minister for Labé | ||
| Minister for Macenta | ||
| Minister for Kindia |
There was a minor shuffle on 17 November 1965, with the following assignments:
| Name | Function | |
|---|---|---|
| Minister of the People's Army and Civil Service | ||
| Minister of Rural Economy and Artisans | ||
| Minister of Labor and Social Laws | ||
| Secretary of State for the Interior and Security | ||
| Minister for Labé |
A new cabinet was announced on 19 January 1968:
| Name | Background | Function | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Politburo member | Minister of Finance and Banking | ||
| Copywriter | Secretary of State, Finance | ||
| Politburo member | Minister of External Affairs | ||
| Magistrate | Secretary of State, Foreign Affairs | ||
| Politburo Member | Minister of Economic Development, Agriculture, Industry and Mines | ||
| Engineer | Secretary of State, Public Works | ||
| Teacher | Secretary of State, Agriculture | ||
| Politburo member | Minister of Commerce, Transport, Posts and Telecommunications | ||
| Engineer | Secretary of State, Transport | ||
| Engineer | Secretary of State, P & T | ||
| Politburo member | Minister of Social Services, Health, Education, Youth, Labor | ||
| Teacher | Secretary of State, Education | ||
| Secretary of State, Labor | |||
| Politburo member | Secretary of State, Social Affairs | ||
| Politburo member | Minister of the People's Army and Civil Service | ||
| Politburo member | Secretary of State without portfolio | ||
| Secretary of State for Information | |||
| Teacher | Secretary of State, Interior | ||
| Magistrate | Secretary of State, Justice | ||
| Politburo member | Minister for Forest Region | ||
| Politburo member | Minister for Haute Guineé | ||
| Teacher | Minister for Moyenne Guineé | ||
| Magistrate, Politburo member | Minister for Maritime Guinea |
The National Political Bureau originally consisted of 17 members elected every three years in congress. The members between 31 December 1962 and 17 September 1969, by number of votes obtained, were:[2]
Further changes occurred in 1969, and following the attempted coup in 1970.
In 1972, Mamadi Keïta was leader of the left-wing faction in the Politburo, engaged in a struggle with Ismaël Touré to be recognized as the next in line to succeed the president, Sékou Touré.At the 9th party congress that year, the right-center took control. Sékou Touré remained president and Lansana Beavogui was given the newly created title of Prime Minister.Ismaël Touré gained the powerful position of Minister of the Economy and Finance, while Mamadi Keïta was relegated to Minister of Culture and Education. His brother Seydou Keïta became ambassador to Western Europe.[3]
A partial list of cabinet members:
| Name | Background | Function | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Politburo member | President | ||
| Politburo member | Prime Minister | ||
| Politburo member | Minister of the Economy and Finance | ||
| Politburo member | Minister of Culture and Education | ||
| Politburo member | Minister of the Interior and Security | ||
| Minister of Social Affairs | |||
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |||
| Politburo member | Minister of Exchanges | ||
| Central committee member | Minister of External Trade | ||
| Minister of Internal Trade | |||
| Minister of Transport | |||
| Minister of Posts and Telecommunications | |||
| Minister of Industry and Energy | |||
| Politburo member | Minister of Finance | ||
| Minister of Mines | |||
| Minister of Public Works, Urbanization and Environment | |||
| Ministry of Land Planning | |||
| Politburo member | Party Inspector General |
In May 1972, the members of the National Politbureau who welcomed Fidel Castro of Cuba on his visit to Guinea were:[4]
The final cabinet reorganization in the first republic was announced on 1 June 1979:
| Name | Function | |
|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister | ||
| Moussa Diakité | Minister of Environment and Urbanization | |
| Minister of Energy and for Konkouré | ||
| Minister of Public Health | ||
| Minister of Mines | ||
| Minister of Science & Technology | ||
| Minister of External Affairs | ||
| Minister of the Interior | ||
| Minister of the Interior | ||
| Minister of Internal Trade | ||
| Minister of the People's Army | ||
| Minister of Posts and Telecommunications | ||
| Minister of Social Affairs | ||
| Minister of Information | ||
| Minister of Youth, Sports and Arts | ||
| Minister of Finance | ||
| Minister of Industry | ||
| Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forests | ||
| Minister of Labor | ||
| Minister of Fisheries | ||
| Minister of Public Works | ||
| Minister of Justice | ||
| Minister of External Trade | ||
| Minister of State Control | ||
| Minister of pre-University Education | ||
| Minister of Banking | ||
| Minister of Economic Affairs | ||
| Minister delegate to Brussels | ||
| Minister for Islamic Affairs | ||
| Secretary General to Presidency | ||
| Secretary General to Government |
Key members, their posts and relationship with the president were:
| Member | Posts held | Relationship to Sékou Touré | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lansana Beavogui | Minister of Economic Affairs and Planning (1958–1961) Minister of Foreign Affairs (1961 – May 1969) Minister of Economic Affairs (May 1969 – 1972) Prime Minister (1972 – April 1984) | ||
| Ismaël Touré | Minister of Public Works (1957 – January 1963) Minister of Economic Development (January 1963 – May 1969) Minister of Economy and Finance (1972 – March 1984) | Half brother | |
| Mamadi Keïta | Minister of education | Wife's half-brother | |
| Moussa Diakité | Minister of Security and internal affairs Minister of Economy and Finance Minister of Housing | Married to sister of Touré's wife | |
| Nfamara Keita | Minister of social affairs | ||
| Lansana Diane | Permanent secretary |