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32 CHAPTER 1denied. Despite their conflicting political visions and interests, it was thesegroups that took the lead in the recreation of the political body of the colonialstate through party politics. In Soudan Français, it seems that the key players inpolitics were educated in one colonial system or another, be it the army, theschool, or the indigenous administration which created the chiefs and ‘notablestraditionels’. Furthermore, many leading politicians were indeed teachers, althoughthey might have been opponents in the two main political parties of thecolony. It can therefore rightly be argued that those groups in Soudan Françaiswho failed to board the new ship of state in time were those who could literallynot read the signs of changing times. Among those, it has been argued, were theKel Tamasheq. I will here try to show that this is only partially true. ManyTamasheq simply did not want to board, while others were thrown off deck.In February 1946, the first parties saw the light of day in Soudan Français.Fily Dabo Sissoko, a schoolteacher from Bafoulabé, and the Soudanese representativeto the constitutional assembly of 1945, founded the Parti Progressistedu Soudan (PSP). The PSP dominated the Territorial Assembly in Soudan Françaisfrom its creation in 1946 to the elections for the Territorial Assembly in1956. It had the support of the French colonial administration as it saw the PSPas moderate and willing to collaborate with the colonial system since manytraditional chiefs, the colonial administration’s natural ally, adhered to it. It wastherefore known as ‘the chiefs’ party’. Indeed, its uncontested leader Fily DaboSissoko was himself a traditional chief. Born in 1900, Sissoko came from achiefly family in Bafoulabé, and he would replace his father as Chef de Cantonin 1933. 21 He was educated in the French school system at William Ponty, andbecame assistant schoolteacher in Dori (Burkina Faso) in 1915, where he witnessedthe bloody repression of the rebellion of the Tamasheq Logomaten tribein 1916. Sissoko gained a certain reputation among fellow évolués as a novelistand poet in the négritude movement with a staunch anti-colonial stance. Hismodest fame as a writer, teacher and Chef de Canton had gained him his placein the constitutional assembly, where he collaborated closely with Felix Houphouët-Boigny,another chief and évolué, in drafting the law abolishing themuch hated forced labour. In France, Sissoko would distance himself from hisearlier admiration for the Soviet Union to take a moderate socialist positionwithin the French SFIO. His position as Chef de Canton and his moderatesocialism brought him the favour of the colonial government in the years tocome. The PSP's second asset was the support of the Soudanese traditionalCanton Chiefs and Tribal Chiefs, who largely controlled the votes of theirfollowing. In return, the PSP strongly advocated their interests and political rolein the administrative organisation of Soudan Français. Initially, support of the21Diallo, M.B. 2001.