Henri Konan Bedie, the ex-President of Ivory Coast, and a prominent member of the long-standing political establishment that wielded power in the West African country for decades, passed away at the age of 89, as confirmed by a close relative to journalists on Tuesday.
Bedie served as president from 1993 until his ouster in 1999 and later ran a lost race against his long-time political rival, incumbent President Alassane Ouattara, in elections in 2020 when he was 86 year-old.
The cause of Bedie’s death remains unclear.
His legacy was marked by being both revered and criticized, particularly for his involvement in championing the concept of “Ivoirite,” which pertains to Ivorian identity.
The issue fuelled tensions between those who considered themselves natives in the south and east, and the many foreign workers from neighbouring countries long settled in the country’s north.
