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The leader of the Malian opposition is just subordinate to Paris at the age of 70. He had coronavirus and had just been evacuated to the French capital for treatment. Information confirmed to RFI by several leaders of his party, URD. His family also confirmed this to the AFP news agency.
According to one of his relatives, Soumaïla Cisse was in Niamey when his condition required that he be evacuated to Paris. He then died of Covid-19.
“It’s hard, it’s very hard,” comments soberly one of his friends, a member of his URD party. Soumaïla Cisse vtrying to find freedom, he was released in early October after being held hostage for six months by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
As the opposition leader who fought for the legislative election at the time of his kidnapping, Soumaïla Cissé was already given a big favorite in the upcoming Malian presidential election. That which within fifteen months will seal the end of the transition period, opened after the Coup d’Etat on 18 August.
Former Minister, former President of WAEMU, the West African Economic and Monetary Union, Soumaïla Cissé was an important political figure in her country but also across the African continent. His death, absolutely unexpected, and while many already saw him as the next president of Mali, is a huge and very sad surprise today for all Malians.
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