The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, on behalf of the government and people of Ghana, has expressed sympathy and extended her condolences to the Ivorian people following the death of Amadou Gon Coulibaly, Prime Minister and Head of Government of Cote d’Ivoire on 8 July 2020.

In compliance with the directives of President Akufo-Addo, the Minister paid a courtesy call on President Alassane Quattara of Cote d’Ivoire on Wednesday, 22 July 2020 to commiserate with him and the Ivorian people on the PM’s death.

During the brief engagement in Yamoussoukro, the minister noted that even though “your brother and friend, President Akufo-Addo, has extended condolences to you, he has sent us to come personally and commiserate with you, the government and people of Cote d’Ivoire, especially the bereaved family, on the demise of Mr Coulibaly,” she said. 

The minister added that President Akufo-Addo is of the view that the gesture is the way “we should continue to do things as Africans” while adding that in the particular case of Cote d’Ivoire, he believes that the high-level visit is the proper thing to do, given the close blood ties and friendship that bind our two countries and the special relations both President Nana Addo and President Alassane Quattara share. 

In sharing memories of the late statesman, the minister described Mr Coulibaly as a true son of Cote d’Ivoire and the ECOWAS sub-region as a whole, citing the fact that as a close associate of President Alassane Quattara for decades, he stood to build a strong and prosperous Cote d’Ivoire. 

Ms Botchwey was accompanied by Ghana’s Minister of Defence Dominic Nitiwul, Zongo and Innercity Development Minister Dr Mustafa Abdul-Hamid, Mr Michael Ofori-Atta, Director – Regional Integration, Office of the President; and senior officers from the Ghana Foreign Ministry.

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