Hamed Bakayoko

Eighty-eight days after his birth in Adjamé, Abidjan, Hamed Bakayoko began a political trajectory that culminated in his appointment as Prime Minister of Ivory Coast. His career bridged the gap between journalism and executive governance, spanning decades of national shifts within the Rassemblement des Républicains until his death in Freiburg im Breisgau in March 2021.

Media and Early Political Activity

Bakayoko entered the professional sphere in 1990 as a journalist at Radiodiffusion Television Ivoirienne. By 1991, he established the publication Le Patriote. During the 1990s, he emerged as a founding member of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast’s student branch before transitioning to the Rassemblement des Républicains. His early influence expanded through leadership roles at the Ivorian branch of Radio Nostalgie.

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Ministerial Appointments

From 2007 to 2011, he served as Minister of New Technologies, Information and Communication under Prime Minister Guillaume Soro. In 2011, he joined the cabinet of Alassane Ouattara as Minister of the Interior, a position he retained under Daniel Kablan Duncan in 2016. In 2017, he shifted to the Ministry of Defence during a period marked by military mutinies and regional diplomatic mediation efforts in Togo.

Leadership Roles and Final Year

In 2018, Bakayoko secured election as the Mayor of Abobo. Following the health decline and death of Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, Bakayoko served as Acting Prime Minister before his formal confirmation on 30 July 2020. Simultaneously, he held a seat in the National Assembly of Cote d'Ivoire from 2011 until 2021. He was a grand-master in the Grand Lodge of Côte d'Ivoire.

Health and Succession

Bakayoko tested positive for COVID-19 in April 2020 and later managed a secondary infection alongside severe malaria. By early 2021, he sought medical care in France. On 6 March 2021, he moved to the University Medical Center Freiburg for cancer treatment. Two days after his 56th birthday, President Ouattara announced his death. Patrick Achi succeeded him as interim Prime Minister.