In a viral video, a man of God had predicted the death of the president of the PDCI-RDA and former Ivorian head of state, Henri Konan Bédié.
Following the announcement of Henri Konan Bédié’s death, which occurred on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at the Policlinique internationale Sainte-Marie (Pisam) in Cocody, a video of a man of God spread across the internet.
In this video, the man of God, known as Papa Elie Padah, revealed during a sermon that there would be mourning within the PDCI-RDA party. “I will tell you this, you will have a sign, and this sign will come from the PDCI-RDA,” he declared.
Henri Konan Bédié, the portrait of the Sphinx of Daoukro, is an Ivorian politician who has had a significant impact on the country’s political history. Born on May 5, 1934, in Dadiékro, in the region of Daoukro, he had a remarkable political career that led him to hold important positions in his country.
In 1954, after completing his baccalaureate in Côte d’Ivoire, he continued his studies in France and obtained a degree in Economics and Social Sciences from the University of Paris. In 1969, he earned a doctoral degree in Economics. After returning to Côte d’Ivoire, he quickly became involved in the political world alongside President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who was the founder of Ivorian independence.
In 1958, Henri Konan Bédié took over the direction of the Caisse de Prévoyance sociale et des Prestations familiales and played a significant role in establishing the social security system in Côte d’Ivoire. President Félix Houphouët-Boigny was impressed by his work.
Later, he was appointed as the first representative of independent Côte d’Ivoire to the United States and Canada. He ensured the international representation of Ivory Coast and worked to strengthen economic and financial ties with the North American continent. Additionally, he organized President Houphouët’s state visit to the United States with John Kennedy in 1963.
In 1990, Henri Konan Bédié assumed the position of President of the National Assembly and continued his mandate after the death of Félix Houphouët-Boigny in 1993. In 1995, he won the presidency. During his presidential term, there was some economic and political stability, but he was also criticized for his governance style and handling of ethnic and political tensions in the country.
In 1999, General Robert Guéï staged a military coup to overthrow Henri Konan Bédié. After the coup, Bédié spent several years in exile in France. However, he returned to Côte d’Ivoire in 2001 and actively participated in national politics.
Subsequently, Bédié played a significant role in the Ivorian opposition and made several attempts to run in presidential elections. In 2010, he formed a coalition to support Alassane Ouattara in the elections, which eventually played a role in Ouattara’s rise to power. He passed away shortly before the municipal and regional elections.
