On the occasion of the celebration of the Independence Day, the President of the Republic took a historic and highly symbolic decision: to rename the Boulevard Général De Gaulle in Boulevard Mamadou Dia. This choice reflects a national recognition of one of the main architects of Senegal’s accession to international sovereignty. This gesture, which anchors Mamadou Dia in the collective memory, has a particular significance. Formerly known as the Allées Coursins, this emblematic axis of Dakar was the theatre of the second Independence Parade on 4 April 1962, an initiative carried out by Mamadou Dia himself while he was President of the Council. A visionary statesman, Mamadou Dia played a central role in the process leading to the independence of Senegal. With his Malian counterpart Modibo Keïta, he was a co-signer of the agreements of transfer of competences of 4 April 1960 with the French President Charles De Gaulle. These agreements marked the birth of the Fédération du Mali, the first attempt at union between Senegal and French Sudan (now Mali). However, the collapse of this federation in August 1960 led to a deep political rupture between Mamadou Dia and Léopold Sédar Senghor, resulting in his ouster from power and imprisonment in 1962.
Mamadou Dia à l’honneur: A historic tribute to the heart of Dakar
