In the spotlight: farewell to Hamed Bakayoko in Ivory Coast

Audio 04:42

Official ceremony in tribute to Ivorian Prime Minister Hamed Bakayoko, at the presidential palace in Abidjan, Wednesday March 17, 2021. © AFP - ISSOUF SANOGO

By: Norbert Navarro

9 mins

Publicity

Disappeared eight months after his predecessor Amadou Gon Coulibaly, the Ivorian Prime Minister will be buried this Friday, March 19 in Séguéla.

It is in his hometown in northwestern Côte d'Ivoire that after Friday prayers at the mosque, Hamed Bakayoko's remains will be buried.

“ 

Goodbye Hambak!

 », Launches

Fraternité Matin

, government newspaper on the front page of which, in an archive photo, Hamed Bakayoko, hands joined, walks on the red carpet of the presidential palace in Abidjan.

“ 

The final farewell!

 ", Enhances the independent daily

L'Inter

, on a photo of the coffin covered with the Ivorian flag, taken this Thursday in Abidjan, during the lifting of the body of Hamed Bakayoko.

On the front page of

Soir Info

, the eldest son of the deceased confesses: “ 

Dad often spoke to us about death.

He knew…

 ”, reports this other independent newspaper, with a formula similar to another so dear to Ivorians, the formula

You yourself, you know!

 "

Atmosphere of meditation and pain in Séguéla

In Séguéla itself, the scenes of riots and anger of last week, when the announcement of the death of Hamed Bakayoko, succeeded an atmosphere of meditation and pain.

Séguéla welcomes her son with dignity and pain

 ", states the daily

Le Patriote

, in white on black characters.

Sign of mourning thus displayed by this newspaper close to the RDR, a political party chaired by the head of state Alassane Ouattara.

The special envoy of the daily

L'Intelligent d'Abidjan

reports that after the arrival of Hamed Bakayoko's coffin yesterday, “ 

the funeral procession crossed the main points of Séguéla, from the Bakayoko crossroads to the residential area. , where the Golden Boy was treated to a walkabout

”.

Which crowd chanted,

"

Hamed is not dead

 ", points

L'Intelligent d'Abidjan

.

Exactly.

"

Is Hamed Bakayoko really dead?"

Wakat Sera

 wonders

.

Response from this Burkinabè newspaper: " 

No, because the (...) immense charitable actions of this masculine mother Teresa will survive her

 ", he wants to believe.

But this Ugandan newspaper, this morning, chained the questions, with for example this one: " 

So what is happening with this post (of the Prime Minister) which, once very coveted, has become so repulsive?

To the point where, according to social networks, a mother who wants to scare her prank child, predicts that he will become "Prime Minister of Alassane Dramane Ouattara!

" ", States Wakat Sera irreverently.

Another question by this newspaper asked: " 

These deaths of Prime Minister, who slip, is it a simple coincidence or a real curse?

(…) Provided that the implacable rule of "never two without three" is defeated for once

 ", sighs this Burkinabè newspaper again.

Even newspapers close to the Ivorian opposition are still paying tribute this morning to the Prime Minister who died at the age of 56

Close to the FPI, the newspaper

Notre Voie

thus salutes the memory of Hamed Bakayoko, who " 

was the human face of the Ouattara regime

 ". 

 " 

We will never see the imposing figure of Hamed Bakayoko again,

 " sighs the newspaper

Le Temps

.

As this daily close to the former head of state Laurent Gbagbo reminds us with respect, Hamed Bakayoko " 

transcended political differences

 ", he was " 

a man of consensus, a man of openness, a man of compromise

 " .

As for the columnist of the newspaper

Today

, also close to Laurent Gbagbo, he piously wishes to " 

join with all those who entrust [the soul of Hamed Bakayoko] to the Lord, because as a last resort, it is he alone who knows

 ”, as the Ivorians say with affection.

Another death in Mali, that of journalist Adam Thiam

It was even " 

one of the best journalists in Mali

 ", estimates the site

Mali 24

.

This online newspaper salutes this media man " 

who has dabbled in everything.

Almost.

A follower of the good codes of journalism and political communication [with] respectable pedigree

 ”.

And

Mali 24

to pay tribute to the “ 

real globetrotter [who] traveled the world

and who was

well known in the media sphere of Bamako (…) but, also, in the Landerneau of international NGOs

 ”.

So goes mourning, in the Africa press this morning.

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