Sudanese Union-African Democratic Rally

The Sudanese Union-African Democratic Rally (US-RDA "Union Soudanaise-Rassemblement Démocratique Africain") is a Malian political party.

The party was formed in 1945 by Mamdou Konaté and Modibo Keita, with the name Sudanese Bloc ("Bloc Soudanais"). The following year, they affiliated themselves with the African Democratic Rally (RDA), the interterritorial coalition of anti-colonial political parties active in French West Africa.

In 1956 US-RDA won the elections to the National Assembly elections in French Soudan. With Konaté's 1958 death, Keita gained full control of the party.

After independence in 1960 US-RDA was established as the sole legal party in the country; however, it was officially dissolved following the 1968 coup by Moussa Traoré. Over the next two decades, US-RDA remained underground. In 1990, however, the party joined the growing democratic movement against Traoré's dictatorship, becoming part of the Alliance for Democracy in Mali (ADEMA).

In 1992, Tiéoulé Konaté made an unsuccessful bid for the presidency as the US-RDA candidate, losing to ADEMA's Alpha Oumar Konaré.

In 1998, US-RDA split into two factions, one of which followed Daba Diawara to become the Independence, Democracy and Solidarity Party (PIDS) in 2001.

In the July 2007 parliamentary election, the party succeeded in entering the National Assembly, winning one seat. [ [http://fr.allafrica.com/stories/200708131307.html "Mali: Résultats définitifs des Législatives - l'Adéma/PASJ perd dans trois localités"] , "Les Echos" (allAfrica.com), August 13, 2007 fr icon.] [ [http://apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article&id_article=39203 "Epilogue des consultations générales de 2007 au Mali"] , African Press Agency, August 11, 2007 fr icon.]

Mamadou Bamou Touré is the current president of the US-RDA.

References

Imperato, Pascal James. "Mali: A Search for Direction". Boulder: Westview Press, 1989.