The Ivorian prime minister died on Wednesday, March 10, in Germany, from cancer. Ivorians will be able to pay tribute to him next week in Abidjan and Séguéla.
as reported from Abidjan, Pierre Pinto
The deadly remains of Hamed Bakayoko will be repatriated this Saturday, March 13, in Côte d’Ivoire at a time yet to be revealed. The official funeral of the late Prime Minister and Minister of Defense was to begin in earnest on Monday with a three-day tribute in Abidjan.
Funeral scheduled for Friday, March 19th
On Thursday, after a military ceremony, the funeral convoy makes its way to Seguéla in the northwestern part of the country where his family comes from and where he has just been elected deputy. Hamed Bakayoko’s funeral will take place on Friday. “Hambak,” as he is nicknamed, died of devastating cancer.
After two return trips to France in January for investigations, the prime minister went there again on February 18 to be admitted. He was then transferred to Freiburg, Germany on March 6 for final treatment. That was where he died.
The golden boy of youth
Since the announcement of his death on Wednesday, tributes have multiplied. Heads of state, Ivorian or foreign political leaders, artists from all over Africa tribute to “Golden Boy”, very popular in Côte d’Ivoire, especially among young people. The news of his death evoked expressions of sadness and sometimes anger in Séguéla and Abobo, the municipality in the northern part of Abidjan, where he was mayor.
►Read also: Ivory Coast: Abobo, a town in mourning after the death of Hamed Bakayoko
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