Dinah Salifou was a nineteenth-century African king who ruled the Nalu people in present-day Guinea and worked closely with French colonial authorities to strengthen his position. After years of military cooperation and diplomatic relations with France, he was arrested by the French in November 1890, stripped of his throne and deported to Senegal, where he died in exile in 1897.
His family and rise to power
Dinah Salifou was born around 1840 in Sogoboly, in the Kakandé region of present-day Guinea. He was the son of Boya Salifou and Makoumba. The Foundation Dinah Salifou Camara identifies his father as the first king of the Nalu people.
Dinah was the nephew of Youra Towel, king of the Nalu, and served as one of his principal advisers. When Youra died in 1885, Dinah succeeded him, although his succession was contested by Bokari, another claimant to the throne. The French supported Dinah, partly because they wanted to strengthen their influence over the Nalu kingdom and prevent rival European powers from gaining ground in the region.
The struggle continued for several years, with French forces providing military assistance to Dinah and his supporters. Between 1884 and 1887, French troops helped the Nalu in a series of violent conflicts against their opponents. These campaigns involved the destruction of villages and the deaths of people who resisted Dinah’s authority.
Following the death of Youra Towel on 6 June 1885, Dinah succeeded his uncle. The French formally recognised him as king on 31 August 1885. He subsequently maintained treaties with France, allowed French and British trading establishments in his territory and helped establish agreements with neighbouring African chiefs.
His celebrated visit to Paris
Dinah’s relationship with France reached its height in 1889 when French officials invited him to attend the Universal Exhibition in Paris. He travelled with an entourage of approximately 32 people, including members of his family and royal attendants.
He arrived in France in June and received an elaborate welcome. His visit attracted considerable attention from the French press, and he was invited to visit the Eiffel Tower and attend official receptions. He also met the Shah of Persia, who presented him with an expensive sword, and was received by President Sadi Carnot at the Élysée Palace.
However, while Dinah was away, his position at home became increasingly unstable. His cousin Tocba had expanded his influence in the Rio Nunez and was accused of attacking neighbouring communities. Dinah had previously objected to Tocba’s growing authority, but French officials had not acted on his complaints.
When Dinah returned, he found his kingdom in serious disorder. He repeatedly appealed to French authorities for assistance, reminding them of their agreements and asking them to remove Tocba from the region. His requests went largely unanswered.
The letter that led to his downfall
In August 1890, the French commandant at Boké, Opigez, sent Dinah a letter concerning the ongoing conflict. The letter, dated 3 August, requested the deaths of two African chiefs, Tocba and Bourang, who had opposed French authority.
Opigez wrote:
“I want to have these two heads.”
Dinah subsequently killed Tocba on 5 August during a military campaign. He also fought Bourang and killed him, sending his head to the French commandant.
However, Opigez soon distanced himself from the killings. In a letter dated 14 August, he denied that the French had given Dinah permission to kill Tocba.
The situation deteriorated further when Dinah’s forces suffered a major defeat at Compony on 8 October 1890. His allies abandoned the campaign, leaving his forces defeated. Opigez used the military failure to undermine Dinah’s position and portray him as a ruler who had lost his authority.
On 5 November, Opigez summoned Dinah to Victoria for a meeting with the commander of a French naval vessel, La Mésange. Dinah arrived expecting discussions with French officials, but was instead separated from his companions and taken aboard the vessel. He was transported to Conakry and subsequently deported to Saint-Louis in Senegal.
The end of the Nalu kingship
Dinah’s removal was not simply a change of ruler. France was moving towards direct administration of the Rio Nunez and no longer wanted to depend on a single African king to govern the region.
On 10 February 1891, the colonial administration announced that the Rio Nunez would henceforth be placed under direct French administration. French officials would handle disputes between local chiefs rather than relying on Dinah’s royal authority.
Even within the French administration, Dinah’s treatment attracted criticism. M. de Lamothe, the Governor of Senegal, investigated the circumstances of his removal and argued that Dinah had undertaken the military campaign against his rivals on the instructions of Opigez. He described his situation as fidélité malheureuse, meaning unfortunate loyalty. Despite his intervention, Dinah was never restored to his throne.
He spent the rest of his life in exile in Saint-Louis, stripped of the authority he had once held and cut off from the income he received from his former kingdom. The French also reduced his pension from 5,000 to 1,200 francs. He died in a military hospital in Saint-Louis in October 1897, far from the kingdom he had once ruled.
Sources:
https://www.senegalmetis.net/Senegalmetis/D3_Dinah_Salifou.html
https://www.webguine.site/bibliotheque/histoire/thierno_diallo/dina_salifou/dSalifou.html
