Garan Fabou Kouyate

Garan Fabou Kouyaté
Born	(1925-04-25)April 25, 1925 Segou, Mali
Nationality	Malian
Other names	"Ba Garan" (Bambara term for father Garan)
Known for	Sports administration and fairness in Malian politics
Political party	AMUPI (Malian Association for Unity and the Progress of Islam)
Board member of	Fédération Malienne de Football (Malian Soccer Federation) 1960 - 1980
Spouse(s)	3 wives
Partner(s)	6 children

Garan Fabou Kouyaté (b. April 25, 1925 in Segou, Mali) is a member of Mali's Higher Islamic Council and a former member of the CENI (National Independent Electoral Commission) on behalf of the religious groups, and the first general secretary of the Fédération Malienne de Football (Malian Soccer Federation). Kouyaté is a well-known and respected man in Mali. He is commonly called "Ba Garan" (Bambara term for father Garan).

Early life

Garan Fabou Kouyaté is from the Griot or Djeli family (African traditional story tellers, singers, and mediators). He is the son of Fabou and Fatoumata Kouyaté and the cousin of the famous Tiemoko Garan Kouyaté (killed in 1942 for his political affiliation and anti-colonialism). Garan Fabou Kouyaté did his primary education in the 1930s in the city of Bamako during the French colonization in Mali (called French Sudan back then). He continued his studies until the mid-1940s when he graduated as a civil administrator. He worked in Segou, Sikasso, Nioro, and Bamako in the 1950s and 1960s.

Sport

Kouyaté was mostly famous in sport especially soccer although his first hobby was bicycling and the Tour de France. He was a soccer referee and then member of a soccer team, l’Association Sportive de Segou. In the mid-1950s, Kouyaté served in the soccer department of Segou Region during the annual Coupe de l’AOF (soccer competition between teams from French West Africa). Although no team from the region made it to the final, Kouyaté was successful in challenging teams from the capital city Bamako and making Segou soccer well respected.

After the independence of Mali in 1960, Mr. Kouyaté entered the Malian Soccer Federation as first general secretary given his high organizational and management skills in soccer. He was one of the delegates of the Malian soccer team during the African Games of 1965 in Brazzaville, Congo, in which the team obtained the silver medal. He was invited to the Soviet Union, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, East Germany, and the People's Republic of China with the Mali soccer team in the mid-1960s. He was also among the delegation of the Malian soccer team in the 1972 African Nations Cup in Yaounde, Cameroon. Unfortunately, the Malian soccer team, with Salif Keita, once again lost to Congo in the final.

Politics

Kouyaté had a brief political career from the 1950s to early 1960. As a former student of Modibo Keita, he was very activie in the promotion of US-RDA in the French Sudan. He played an important role in US-RDA's 1957 decisive victory over Fily Dabo Sissoko's PSP. Later, there were some disagreements between him and the Segou's US-RDA representatives due to his "No" position in the 1958 referendum. Further disagreements about the candicacies of delegates for party sections in Segou made him retired from politics.

Later period

After retiring from the soccer arena, especially because of his age, Mr. Kouyaté and some other senior retirees founded the AMUPI (Malian Association for Unity and the Progress of Islam) in 1980. In 1994, he was appointed director of the radio station of AMUPI (Radio Islamique). In 1997, He was selected as representative of the Mali Muslims community to the CENI (Commission Nationale Electorale Independante) despite some pains he had with his leg. In 2001, he was again selected to the CENI as representative of all religious groups. He is also a senior member of the Mali's Higher Islamic Council. Kouyaté is married to three wives and had six children. He is a very respected and well-known man in Mali. He serves as consultant for writers, historians, and biographers on Mali and West Africa's historical and cultural past. He is regularly consulted for advice in formal issues and in local mediation.

In January 2009, he was awarded the grade of grand officer of the national order of Mali.