In Côte d’Ivoire, it is the ultimate separation between the Ivorians and the former president. Died on August 1, 2024, at the age of 89, Henri Konan Bédié was buried this Saturday in his village in Pepressou, in east-central Ivory Coast. Long before the Daoukro sphinx was buried, a final tribute was paid to it in the village’s public square. This, in accordance with the tradition of the Akan people.
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With our special correspondent in Pepressou, Abdoul Aziz Diallo
Dressed in a traditional Baoulé loincloth, the remains of the former Ivorian president Henri Konan Bédié enters the public square of Pepressou, his village, for the very last time. The former boss of the PDCI-RDA receives a final tribute from his family, mostly dressed in black and red, a symbol of pain and meditation in Akan country.
At the time of separation, the deputy for Tiébissou, N’Guessan Eugène retains the strength of resilience of the sphinx of Daoukro. “ Despite all the injustices he experienced in his life, especially from people to whom he gave a lot, he never spoke about it. He always forgave. He was the one who was always there to resolve the situation, even at the expense of his life or his political party, to save the Ivory Coast. »
The separation with Henri Konan Bédié is also difficult for the women in his party. “ We will miss him more than anything, assures Doumbia Salimata, the general secretary of the union of rural women of the PDCI-RDA. For us, President Bédié was the cement that linked each activist together. Today he is leaving. For us women, the sadness is very, very great. »
The Ivorian political class as a whole was represented at this final tribute paid to Henri Konan Bédié, who died on August 1, 2023 at the age of 89.
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