Former Ivory Coast President Henri Konan Bedie, a prominent figure among the country’s long-standing political elite, has died at the age of 89, as confirmed by a close relative and a member of his party.
Appointed by his predecessor, Felix Houphouet-Boigny, Bedie assumed office as the second President of Ivory Coast after gaining independence from France in 1960.
His leadership spanned from 1993 until his removal from power in a military coup six years later, following an economic downturn and corruption allegations.
Bedie passed away on Tuesday at the Polyclinique Internationale Sainte Anne-Marie in Abidjan, the nation’s bustling commercial capital and largest city, according to a reliable source within his political party who spoke to Agence France-Presse news agency. The cause of his death has not been disclosed yet.
A family member also confirmed the news to Reuters news agency, though the exact reason behind his passing remains unknown.
Local reports indicate that Bedie was transported by air from his hometown, Daoukro, which lies 230km (145 miles) north of Abidjan, after falling seriously ill on Tuesday.
Throughout his political career, Bedie gained both praise and criticism for his association with the concept of “Ivoirite,” which centered on Ivorian identity and created tensions between those identifying as natives in the southern and eastern regions and the foreign workers from neighboring countries who had long settled in northern Ivory Coast.
