Ibrahima Barry, popularly known as Barry III, (1923 – January 25, 1971) was a

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

n politician. He was the leader of the

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...

Socialist Democracy of Guinea The Socialist Democracy of Guinea (french: Démocratie Socialiste de Guinée, DSG) was a political party in Guinea. DSG was founded in the run-up to the 1954 legislative election by Abdoulaye Diallo, Chaikou Baldé and Ibrahima Barry ( 'Barry II ...

(DSG).Camp Boiro Memorial.
Barry Ibrahima dit Barry III (1923-1971)
''

Background

Barry was born in Bantiŋel,

Pita Pita ( or ) or pitta (British English), is a family of yeast-leavened round flatbreads baked from wheat flour, common in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and neighboring areas. It includes the widely known version with an interior pocket, als ...

, into an aristocratic family of the Seeriyaabhe clan. A graduate of

École normale supérieure William Ponty École William Ponty was a government teachers' college in French West Africa, in what is now Senegal. The school is now in Kolda, Senegal, where it is currently known as École de formation d’instituteurs William Ponty. It is associated with t ...

, Barry became a lawyer in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

.Schmidt, Elizabeth.
Cold War and Decolonization in Guinea, 1946-1958
'. Western African studies. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2007. p. 70 Barry counted on strong support from the people and administration in the

Fouta Jallon Fouta Djallon ( ff, 𞤊𞤵𞥅𞤼𞤢 𞤔𞤢𞤤𞤮𞥅, Fuuta Jaloo; ar, فوتا جالون) is a highland region in the center of Guinea, roughly corresponding with Middle Guinea, in West Africa. Etymology The Fulani people call the ...

region in northern Guinea. In particular, he represented the younger educated generation of the elite sectors of

Fula Fula may refer to: *Fula people (or Fulani, Fulɓe) *Fula language (or Pulaar, Fulfulde, Fulani) **The Fula variety known as the Pulaar language **The Fula variety known as the Pular language **The Fula variety known as Maasina Fulfulde *Al-Fula ...

society. Barry was also a

freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

Political career

Barry was the DSG candidate in the 1954 legislative by-election. He obtained 16,098 votes (6.3% of the vote in Guinea). Barry had taken over the position as the leader of the socialist movement after Yaciné Diallo (whose death had provoked the holding of the by-election in 1954), but Barry III's hostile discourse against the Fula traditional chiefs (who had supported Diallo) aliented large sections of former supporters of Diallo. Ahead of the 1956 election, the

Democratic Party of Guinea Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

(PDG) offered Barry to be one of their three candidates for the legislative election (along with

Sékou Touré Sekou, also spelled Sékou or Seku, is a given name from the Fula language. It is equivalent to the Arabic ''Sheikh''. People with this name include: Given name * Seku Amadu (1776–1845), also known as Sékou Amadou or Sheikh Amadu, founder of th ...

). Barry III, however, rejected the offer. In the same year, Barry III stood as candidate for mayor of

Conakry Conakry (; ; sus, Kɔnakiri; N’ko: ߞߐߣߊߞߙߌ߫, Fula: ''Konaakiri'' 𞤑𞤮𞤲𞤢𞥄𞤳𞤭𞤪𞤭) is the capital and largest city of Guinea. A port city, it serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea. Its p ...

(in which he was defeated by Sékou Touré). In 1957, Barry became the general secretary of the

African Socialist Movement African Socialist Movement (french: Mouvement Socialiste Africain, MSA) was a political party in French West Africa. The MSA was formed following a meeting of the Section française de l'Internationale ouvrière (SFIO) federations of Cameroon, Ch ...

(MSA). In the first government of independent Guinea, Barry was included as a minister. After the merger of DSG into the African Regroupment Party (PRA), Barry became the general secretary of the Guinean branch of PRA. In November 1958 the Guinean PRA was dissolved, and Barry III instructed his followers to join the PDG.Schmidt, Elizabeth.
Cold War and Decolonization in Guinea, 1946-1958
'. Western African studies. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2007. p. 272

Arrest and execution

Barry was arrested in December 1970. He was held prisoner at Camp Alpha Yahya. On January 25, 1971 in the purge that followed

Operation Green Sea Operation Green Sea ( pt, Operação Mar Verde) was an amphibious attack on Conakry, the capital of Guinea, by between 350 and 420 Portuguese soldiers and Portuguese-led Guinean fighters in November 1970. The goals of the operation included th ...

, he was hanged in public at Tombo Bridge in

Nickname

Barry III was sometimes nicknamed ''Syliyoré'' ( Susu for "Little Elephant"), a reference to the similarities between his political programme and that of Sékou Touré (who was commonly nicknamed ''Syli'', "Elephant").

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barry 03 Guinean politicians French Section of the Workers' International politicians 1923 births 1971 deaths Executed Guinean people People executed by Guinea by hanging People executed for treason against Guinea 20th-century executions for treason Executed politicians Guinean expatriates in Senegal Guinean expatriates in France Fula people Freemasons