French photographer Alain Licari has highlighted the remarkable story of Monsieur Soumah, an 82-year-old Guinean man whose personal history mirrors the complex colonial and post-independence journey of Guinea. Through Licari's latest photographic work, Soumah's narrative offers a unique window into the West African nation's transformation over nearly seven decades.

"I'm Monsieur Soumah, I'm Guinean, and I'm 82 years old. Well, I think so," Soumah explains with characteristic humor about his uncertain birth date. The ambiguity surrounding his age reflects the realities of rural Guinea in the 1940s, where formal record-keeping was sporadic. "The civil registrar asked my father when I was born, and he said a date like that. Because, you know, in the villages, we registered births whenever we could. So yes, Monsieur Alain, I was born around 1942."

Soumah's story becomes particularly compelling when he recounts Guinea's pivotal moment of independence in 1958. He vividly remembers the construction of three significant buildings connected to the Péchiney aluminum factory, which coincided with President Sékou Touré's historic rejection of Charles de Gaulle's proposal for continued French colonial control. "These three buildings were built with the Péchiney factory in 1958 at the time of independence, when Sékou Touré said No! to De Gaulle," Soumah recalls. "He wasn't expecting it, the Old Man! He even forgot his cap."

In 1959, at the age of 17, Soumah moved with his family to Fria, a mining town that would become central to Guinea's aluminum industry. The young man found himself experiencing a level of modern comfort that was rare in the newly independent nation. "I had a good life here, you know. We had all the modern comforts: water, electricity, all the amenities," he reflects. "You didn't find that in Guinea. Not even in Conakry," referring to the country's capital city.

Now likely the oldest resident in his neighborhood, Soumah has witnessed decades of political and economic changes as Guinea navigated different governments and the fluctuating influence of multinational corporations. "And then time passed. The governments, the multinationals; the stock prices, too. We stayed," he observes, summarizing the persistence of local communities amid broader political and economic upheavals.

Today, Soumah serves as a living repository of local history, well-known and respected in his community. "Ah, what memories! Now I must be the oldest in the neighborhood. People know me well around here," he says. His personal archives, including photographs from earlier decades, provide tangible connections to Guinea's past. "I still have a few friends, photos from back then. Let me show you, Mr. Alain," he offers, demonstrating his willingness to share these historical treasures with Licari's documentation project.