Gontchomé Sahoulba
Gontchomé Sahoulba (16 October 1909 – 1963) was a Chadian politician who played a prominent role during the decolonization in Chad. Born in 1909, he was a Moundang chief of Mayo-Kebbi, in what was then the French colony of Chad.
Political activity in UDT
Sahoulba entered national politics when political parties were officially accepted in 1946 by founding the Chadian Democratic Union (UDT), the first African political party, conservative in its outlook and favoured by the colonial administration, with other traditional leaders. The party had no true opposition in local elections until 1953. Sahoulba also served in the French Senate from 1951-1959. From 1953 the UDT started to be superseded in French and popular support by the Chadian Social Action (AST), to which Sahoulba adhered with other prominent politicians like Ahmed Koulamallah, Bechi Sow and Ahmed Kotoko.
Political activity in GIRT
But the picture radically changed in 1956, with the electoral reforms that greatly expanded the number of eligible voters, giving strength to the Gabriel Lisette's nationalistic Chadian Progressive Party (PPT). Sahoulba decided with others to leave the AST before the 1957 elections for the Territorial Assembly, forming the Groupement des Indépendants et Ruraux Tchadiens (GIRT). In the elections the PPT triumphed, while the GIRT came second with 9 seats out of 65.