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POLITICS-GUINEA: Marching to the Beat of Her Own Drum

Saliou Samb

CONAKRY, Nov 14 2008 (IPS) - Surprises have been a common occurrence in the all-but-common political career that made Kaba Rougui Barry the first female mayor in Guinea since political parties were legalised in 1990.

The elegant almond-eyed Peul woman is always ready to take challenges and prejudices head-on and defend her ideas, even the most controversial ones.

Rougui Barry's offices are in her home, in Coleah Lansebounyi, a neighborhood near Conakry, the Guinean capital. Alongside a few pictures of the politician, a sign stands out: "Women are equal to men."

"Whether in politics or any other sphere, women who demand equality are marginalised. It happens in Guinea, as it happens in other countries. Women are intimidated and shy away from political careers," Rougui Barry told IPS.

The story starts in 1990, when a group of young people convinced her to run for mayor of Matam, one of Conakry's four communes.

It was a daunting challenge for a woman with no political experience in this country where 85 percent of the population is Muslim.

"I was inexperienced, but with the advice of my father and husband, I overcame that and jumped in with both feet," she told IPS.

The then 53-year-old threw herself into the race and, to everyone's surprise, won the mayorship in 1991, besting four male adversaries.

A "repeat offender", she was to win again in 1996, but this time irritated President Lansana Conté and the ruling Unity and Progress Party (UPP) who blocked her swearing in.

"The county had no mayor for seven months before I could assume my functions. The two mandates made for a 10 year stretch during which I achieved 70 to 80 percent of my action plan," Rougui Barry highlighted.

Following a new law requiring that mayors be members of a political party, Rougui Barry joined the opposition Union of Republican Forces (URF) in 2001, after first approaching the UPP.

"Rougui Barry is a fighter, we have to admit it. But she went to the opposition because the UPP wouldn't put her on the ticket," confirmed Sékou Konaté, Secretary General of the UPP, the current ruling party.

To block this inconvenient candidacy, in 2000 the government refused to validate Rougui Barry's list.

"I was the main target of that law. The President wanted the UPP to win all 38 counties in the country, but everyone knew that it would be impossible in Matam," she noted.

In March 2004, Rougui Barry and a number of other public figures were arrested and imprisoned for 44 days, accused of plotting a coup. They were acquitted a few months later.

Some good, some bad

During her mandate in Matam, Rougui Barry managed to instill trust between different communities. She also achieved a number of public work projects, such as walkways along Fidel Castro highway which made it safer for pedestrians to cross.

This was accompanied by highway widening projects that extended beyond Matam.

"Nothing came easy. Religious edicts didn't allow for women as county heads in 1991, however I managed to get all religious communities to come together in managing the county, by consulting with each of them," Rougui Barry adds.

"Over the years they came to understand that the woman was also a fighter who defended everyone's interests. Poverty reduction was a major social issue," she notes.

Women were steered towards trades such as dyeing and soap-making, and a program was created where unemployed youth could meet with businesspeople.

"I'm satisfied with our outcomes," she says, beaming with pride.

But the story of her political struggles hasn't always been a rosy one. "The low point was feeling completely abandoned by the authorities despite all the work that had been put in, work that the citizens themselves acknowledged. The best moments are always the success stories in the administration's action plan."

A few surprises

A mother of five, the former Matam mayor and current director of Supporting Sustainable Development, a humanitarian NGO, also has a degree in economics.

Always unpredictable, she uses this character trait to destabilise her adversaries.

"She's impossible to pin down – which makes her an opponent to the bone. Its always better to have her with you, than against you," admits UPP's Konaté.

Rougui Barry's actions are sometimes a bit surprising. A few weeks ago she sat on a police car and refused to budge, protesting against her brother's recent arrest. According to her, the brother was a victim of blackmail and harassment. She was manhandled in front of incredulous witnesses, and taken to judiciary police's office where she collapsed, unconscious.

"Such a scene proves that she's out to get attention – better to fuel her high political aspirations. She's also overly impulsive, and will have to gain some self-control if she's to go further," says Oumar Yacine Bah, an economist who has been following Rougui Barry's career closely. "She's a good woman, and a woman of principle – two very important elements in politics," he adds.

Rougui Barry isn't coy about her plans. "If I can gather 1,000 signatures from major electors, and if each of them can carry at least 500 people, I'm running for president," she told IPS.

The first lady of Guinean politics still has a few tricks up her sleeve.