Garan Fabou Kouyate

Garan Fabou Kouyaté (b. April 25, 1925 in Segou, Mali) is a 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). He 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. 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 notorious in challenging teams from the capital city Bamako. He was invited to the Soviet Union with his Segou team in the mid 1960s.

After the independence of Mali in 1960, Mr. Kouyaté entered the Malian Soccer Federation as first general secretary and 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 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 the final to Congo.

The 1970s were difficult for Kouyaté with the dictatorship regime of President Moussa Traoré. First, Captain Tiekoro Bagayoko ordered him arrested for giving a lost game to the team Djoliba AC (the preferred team of the Captain) against AS Real in 1974. In 1977, he was once again arrested for participating in the funeral of former President Modibo Keita, the military regime had outlawed any formal funeral for Keita. After Tiekoro Bagayoko himself was arrested, Kouyaté was once again called to save the Malian Soccer Federation after series of crisis in 1980. He was able to elaborate plans to stabilize the Federation but didn't pursue since the Sport Minister, Alpha Oumar Konaré, decided to dissolve the whole Federation bureau.

Kouyaté then abandoned completely the soccer area, especially because of his age. In 1980, he and some senior retirees founded the AMUPI (Malian Association for Unity and the Progress of Islam). In 1994, he was appointed director of the radio station of AMUPI (Radio Islamique) funded mainly by Saudi Arabia. In 1997, He was selected as represent of the Muslims community at the CENI (Commission Nationale Electorale Independante) despite some problem he had with his leg. In 2001, he was again selected at the CENI as represent of all religious groups. Kouyaté is married to three wives and has six children. He is a very respected and well-known man in Mali. He is regularly consulted for advice in formal issues and play a big role in local mediation.