After being evacuated by helicopter to Abidjan, former President Henri Konan Bédié was hospitalized at PISAM where he eventually passed away at the age of 89. According to a security guard’s testimony, his body was transported to the morgue in Treichville.
Henri Konan Bédié, former President of Côte d’Ivoire, passed away on the evening of Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at the Polyclinique Internationale Sainte Anne-Marie (PISAM) located in Cocody. According to a witness reported by AIP, the Sphinx of Daoukro’s body is currently being kept at Ivosep.
Mathurin S., a security guard working in a company near the Ivosep funeral home in Treichville, witnessed the arrival of Henri Konan Bédié’s body around 10 pm on this somber Tuesday. He describes a scene that resembled an official procession, accompanied by an impressive array of “uniformed personnel.” “There was a lot of noise and commotion with cars at this late hour, which is not usual. So, I went out to see what was happening. That’s when I saw six convoys of uniformed personnel and several 4×4 vehicles. Some of them entered, and many others were outside. So, I sat down. There were many people, and no one was talking, including the Ivosep guards. I was wondering who could have passed away, and I thought it must be a high-ranking military officer,” he recounted.
According to his testimony, an ambulance appeared about fifteen minutes later, accompanied by a white hearse carrying the body of the deceased president. Vehicles accompanied the funeral procession. Authorities arrived at the Ivosep premises and stayed for some time before leaving. “I didn’t see any helicopter. Nobody told me anything, and it was early this morning when I heard on the radio that President Bédié had passed away,” he testified.
Throughout his political career, Henri Konan Bédié held positions of high importance. He served as Minister of Economy and Finance under the government of Félix Houphouët-Boigny, then President of the National Assembly and constitutional heir before becoming the President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire between 1993 and 1999.
