Ivory Coast’s Prime Minister Hamed Bakayoko died of cancer on Wednesday in Freiburg in southwestern Germany, President Alassane Ouattara announced on Twitter, reported Africa News. He died two days after his 56th birthday.
“Our country is in mourning,” President Ouattara wrote in a Twitter post. “It is with great sorrow that I announce the death of Prime Minister Hamed Bakayoko, head of state, minister of defence … in Germany, as a result of cancer.”
He described Bakayoko as a great statesman, a model for our youth, a personality of great generosity and exemplary loyalty.
The 56-year-old Bakayoko, a close ally of Ouattara, was transferred to Germany on March 6 for medical treatment, while he had previously been in France on Feb. 18 for the same reason.
He was appointed as the country’s prime minister in July 2020 after the death of Amadou Gon Coulibaly, who had been handpicked by Ouattara to succeed him. Coulibaly died after returning to Ivory Coast after two months in France, where he had been treated for heart problems.
In a statement released on Friday, the government said Ouattara had met Bakayoko during a visit to France the previous week, and given the state of the minister’s health, it was recommended that his hospitalization should be extended.
“He was a key player in the political game and a major player in reconciliation. It’s a true shame,” said Issiaka Sangare, spokesman for the opposition Ivorian Popular Front.
Earlier this week, Ouattara appointed his close ally and chief of staff, Patrick Achi, as Ivory Coast’s interim prime minister replacing the ailing Bakayoko. Tene Birahima Ouattara, the president’s younger brother, was named interim defence minister.
In related news, official results released on Tuesday handed Ouattara’s party a parliamentary majority after legislative elections held at the weekend, with observers hoping the peace process has broken with past outbreaks of electoral violence.
