Daniel Ouezzin Coulibaly

Daniel Ouezzin Coulibaly was born on July 1, 1909, in Pouy, Upper Volta. Graduating at the top of his class from the École Normale William Ponty in Dakar, he served as director of studies at the institute, educating hundreds of future West African leaders.

A formidable organizer, Coulibaly co-founded the Rassemblement Democratique Africain (RDA) at Bamako in 1946 alongside Felix Houphouet-Boigny, serving as its chief political strategist and earning the title 'The Lion of the RDA'. Elected to the French National Assembly from Ivory Coast and later Upper Volta, he became President of the Government Council of Upper Volta in 1957, working tirelessly to consolidate West African federal autonomy before his sudden death in Paris in 1958.