shakeup

Côte d’Ivoire: Hamed Bakayoko likely to replace PM Coulibaly

By Jeune Afrique
Posted on Monday, 20 July 2020 12:54

Hamed BAKAYOKO
Hamed Bakayoko, the Ivorian minister of defense in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire in 2014. ( Bruno Levy / Jeune Afrique )

The Ivorian head of state is preparing to unveil, in the coming days, the name of his next Prime Minister, who will likely be Hamed Bakayoko rather than Patrick Achi.

According to our sources, President Alassane Ouattara is leaning towards Hamed Bakayoko rather than Patrick Achi, currently the secretary general of the presidency. The defence minister, who had effectively acted as interim prime minister for Amadou Gon Coulibaly (AGC) since May, after being hospitalised in France, was considered to be the legitimate choice for prime minister.

READ MORE Côte d’Ivoire: Why Prime Minister Coulibaly is at hospital in France

However, after the death of Prime Minister Gon Coulibaly on 8 July, followed by the resignation of the vice-president, Daniel Kablan Duncan, soon after, the Ivorian head of state is not yet ready to offend his close collaborator.

READ MORE Côte d’Ivoire: Vice-President Duncan resigns, days after PM’s death

According to our information, Alassane Ouattara plans to keep Patrick Achi in his post, but with expanded responsibilities, since Daniel Kablan Duncan will not be replaced in the immediate future. He would therefore become a powerful secretary general of the presidency, as was the AGC (from 2012 to 2017), before the creation of the post of vice-president.

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