Ivory Coast’s former president, Henri Konan Bédié, passed away at the age of 89 while receiving treatment at a hospital in Abidjan, as confirmed by a member of his party’s communications team on Tuesday evening.
News of his death led to a gathering of mourners outside his residence in Abidjan, according to an AFP.
A prominent figure in Ivorian politics, Henri Konan Bédié had been considering the possibility of running in the country’s upcoming presidential election.
During his time in power, Bédié implemented a nationalist policy that favored individuals with two Ivorian parents over immigrants, resulting in discrimination against many workers employed in the country’s cocoa plantations. This policy ran contrary to the previous leader Félix Houphouet-Boigny’s efforts to promote unity and coexistence among diverse communities. The divisive measures contributed to the outbreak of armed conflict and instability in the year 2000.
As Ivory Coast mourns the passing of its former leader, his legacy, both in terms of his contributions to the nation’s politics and the impact of his policies, will be subjects of reflection and debate in the days to come.
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