The body of late Ivory Coast prime minister Hamed Bakayoko landed in Abidjan‘s international airport on Saturday from Germany where an experimental treatment for cancer failed to save his life.
Bakayoko was the country’s second prime minister to die in eight months and his passing left a huge mark on the nation that perceived him as the natural successor to President Alassane Ouattara and as a unifier in a divided nation.
Bakayoko’s passing leaves a vacuum for Ouattara to fill as he continues his search for a potential successor.
A central figure in Ivorian politics over the past two decades as the country was plunged into a prolonged conflict and a partition, Bakayoko, a jovial character with roots in media and showbiz, emerged as a conciliatory figure, able to talk to all sides of the conflict.
“Ivory Coast has lost a great man, a valuable man, a model for the Ivorian youth. For me, he was the best boss,” said a staff member of the prime minister’s office, Aboubakar Konate.
