President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, paid his respects to former Ivorian leader Henri Konan Bédié by signing the Book of Condolences at the Cote d’Ivoire Embassy in Accra.
Bédié, a significant political figure in the country for fifty years, passed away on August 1, 2023, in Abidjan at the age of 89.
Upon signing the condolence book, President Akufo-Addo conveyed his sorrow upon learning about Mr. Bédié’s passing.
He described Mr. Bédié as a prominent and loyal servant of the Ivorian people who contributed significantly to the country’s economic prosperity.
“President Konan Bédié was initially minister of Finance for Cotee d’Ivoire, who was part of an outstanding group of ministers Cote d’Ivoire’s first President Félix Houphouet-Boigny to create boom of the 1960’s and 1970’s that made Cote d’Ivoire the outstanding economy of the time.
“President Konan Bédié as the minister for finance played a very important role in the development his nation. He has been a faithful servant of the Ivorian people and the republic. He was also a very great friend of Ghana. He treasured very much his ancestral links to Ghana and never failed to remind me that he was also a Ghanaian.
“He was a man with whom I had very good relations and I have to tell you how sorry I am when I heard the news of his departure and that is what I has brought me here today to come and register in the name of the Ghanaian people and government our sincere condolences over the loss of this illustrations public servant of Côte d’Ivoire” President Akufo-Addo said.
Bédié ruled the West African country for six years before being deposed in 1999.
Alassane Ouattara, the current president of Cote d’Ivoire and Mr. Bédié’s longtime rival, declared 10 days of national mourning for the late leader, who had continued to influence Ivorian politics as chairperson of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast-African Democratic Rally for the last two decades.