Seydou Cissokho (September 6, 1929 - March 10, 1986) was a Senegalese politician.[1] [2]
Cissokho was born at Bakel. His father worked as a blacksmith.[2] The young Cissokho became a school teacher. He finished his secondary education in 1949. He worked in the countryside, later beginning to teach in Kaolack and Dakar.[2]
Cissokho was also involved in the struggle against French colonial rule. During his years as a student he had joined the Communist Study Groups (GEC).[2] [3] He also became a member of the African Democratic Rally (RDA).[2] He took part in founding the African Independence Party (PAI, later renamed the Party of Independence and Labour, PIT), the first Marxist-Leninist political party in West Africa, in 1957.[4] Following the ban on the party in 1960, Cissokho was active in underground organizing work. He lost his employment as a result of his political work.[2]
The 1962 party executive committee meeting held in Bamako confirmed Cissokho as the deputy general secretary of the Central Committee.[5] [6] In 1967 an extraordinary conference placed Cissokho at the helm of a provisional committee to lead the party. Within the party Cissokho represented a hard-line, pro-Soviet Marxist-Leninist position.[1] [2]
The first party congress, held illegally in Senegal in 1972, confirmed the expulsion of the PAI general secretary Majhmoud Diop and elected Cissokho as party general secretary.[5] [6] [7] Cissokho played an important role in organizing the first conference of Communist and Workers' Parties of Tropical and Southern Africa.[1]
Cissokho spent two decades as leader of the underground party. In 1981 PIT was legalized and Cissokho led the efforts for the formation of an anti-imperialist united front. He was elected party chairman at the second PIT congress, held in 1984.[8]
Cissokho died in Moscow whilst visiting the 1986 Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.[9]