The Sudanese Regroupment Party (french: Parti du Regroupement Soudanais, PRS) was a

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 ...

French Sudan French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

led by

Fily Dabo Sissoko Fily Dabo Sissoko was a Malian writer and political leader, born 15 May 1900 at Horokoto (French Soudan, now in Mali's Bafoulabé Cercle). He died 30 June 1964, imprisoned at Kidal. Fily Dabo Sissoko is chiefly remembered as one of the most infl ...

.Imperato, Pascal James. ''Mali: A Search for Direction''. Boulder: Westview Press, 1989 Politically it represented a conservative traditionalist position, and drew support from traditional chiefs and the colonial administration.
/ref> It was founded in December 1945 by Sissoko, son of a canton chief, and Hamadoun Dicko, a former canton chief. The party sought gradual independence from France, seeking to preserve the influence of traditional elites.Martin, Guy.
Socialism, Economic Development and Planning in Mali, 1960-1968
', published in ''Canadian Journal of African Studies'', Vol. 10, No. 1 (1976), pp. 23-46

History

The party was established in 1946 as the Sudanese Progressive Party (''Parti Progressiste Soudanais''). In the November 1946 French legislative election in French Sudan, French elections that year the party won two of three Sudanese seats in the

French National Assembly The National Assembly (french: link=no, italics=set, Assemblée nationale; ) is the lower house of the bicameral French Parliament under the Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known a ...

. Sissoko and

Jean Silvandre Jean Silvandre (27 January 1896 in Schœlcher, Martinique – 4 February 1960) was a politician from Martinique who represented and served French Sudan in the French National Assembly The National Assembly (french: link=no, italics=set, ...

were elected. In total list of the party obtained 60,759 votes (64%). After the elections, the PSP parliamentarians joined the

SFIO The French Section of the Workers' International (french: Section française de l'Internationale ouvrière, SFIO) was a political party in France that was founded in 1905 and succeeded in 1969 by the modern-day Socialist Party. The SFIO was found ...

parliamentary group. In the 1951 French elections, the party won all three seats in French Sudan. Sissoko, Dicko and Silvandre were elected. The list of the party got 201 866 votes (59.7%). However, after January 1956 PSP lost its role as a major actor in French Sudanese politics. The party received 161,911 votes in the January 1956 French elections, coming second to the

Sudanese Union – African Democratic Rally The Sudanese Union – African Democratic Rally (US-RDA) (french: Union Soudanaise-Rassemblement Démocratique Africain) was a political party in Mali. History The party was formed in 1945 by Mamadou Konaté and Modibo Keita under the name Sudanes ...

(US-RDA). In July the same year a by-election was held after the death of

Mamadou Konaté Mamadou Konate (1897 in Kati, Mali - May 11, 1956 in Bamako) was a politician from Mali who served in the French National Assembly from 1946-1956.Jean Clauzel La France d'outre-mer ( 1930 - 1960 ): Témoignages - 2003 Page 318 "Mamadou Konaté m ...

. The PSP again finished second, with 88,719 votes. In 1957 the party became the French Sudanese section 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 ...

.Fuglestad, Finn.
Djibo Bakary, the French, and the Referendum of 1958 in Niger
', published in ''The Journal of African History'', Vol. 14, No. 2 (1973), pp. 313-330 It won six seats in the 1957 Territorial Assembly elections, with the US-RDA winning 57. After the defeat Sissoko changed the name of the party to PRS. The party faced increasingly difficulties, with the US-RDA government blocking its ability to function normally. The French colonial authorities had withdrawn their support for the party, as they had begun considering good relations with the US-RDA as more useful. The party lost all six seats in the March 1959 elections, which saw the US-RDA win all 80 seats. On 31 March 1959, Sissoko declared, on behalf of the PRS politburo, that the party was merging into US-RDA. his decision was the result of a three-day party conference.

References

{{Authority control Defunct political parties in Mali 1946 establishments in French Sudan Political parties established in 1946 Rassemblement Démocratique Africain