Office of the Historian

309. Telegram From the Department of State to the Consulate General at Dakar0

October 17, 1958, 12:38 p.m.

92. Re Deptel 83.1 Unless you perceive overriding objections you should transmit following message to Sekou Toure in same manner as previously.2

“On behalf of the Government of the United States, I acknowledge receipt of your telegraphic message of October 13 addressed to the President whereby you renew your proposal of October 2 concerning the establishment of diplomatic relations with the United States.

“The United States Government is giving due consideration to the question of the recognition of your country as an independent state. I can assure Your Excellency that the Government and people of the United States have the warmest friendship for the people of Guinea and are looking forward to giving full expression to their feelings through lasting ties of a political and cultural character.”3

Dulles
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.70B/10–1758. Official Use Only; Priority. Drafted by William C. Canup of the Office of Middle and Southern African Affairs; cleared by the President’s Staff Secretary Andrew J. Goodpaster, Looram, Deputy Legal Adviser John M. Raymond, and Satterthwaite; and approved by Murphy. Repeated to Paris and London.↩
  2. Telegram 83, October 14, transmitted to Dakar a translation of an October 13 telegram from Sekou Touré to President Eisenhower. (Ibid., 611.70B/10–1458) A slightly different translation of the message is printed in Department of State Bulletin, December 15, 1958, p. 966.↩
  3. Reference is to a message from Consul General Donald Dumont to Touré, sent by commercial telegram on October 8. It stated that a reply to Touré’s October 2 message to President Eisenhower would be sent “when all aspects of the juridical position of Guinea are clarified.” A copy is filed as an enclosure to despatch 78 from Dakar, October 8. (Department of State, Central Files, 770B.02/10–858)↩
  4. Telegram 135 from Dakar, October 19, reported that the message had been sent to Touré on October 18. (Ibid., 611.70B/10–1958)↩