Henri Konan Bedie
FORMER IVORIAN head of state, Henri Konan Bedie, has paid a courtesy call on his Ghanaian counterpart, ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor.
The visit was at Mr. Kufuor’s private residence in Accra on Monday, April 9, this year.
He has also called on President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House.
Mr. Bedie was accompanied by former foreign minister of Cote d’Ivoire, Jean Marie Kacou; ex-minister of finance, Niamien N’Gorgran; Member of Parliament, Madame N’Dia Marie; Secretary-General of the Houphouët-Boigny Foundation for Peace Research, Prof. Jean Noel Loucou and the Charge d’Affaires of the Ivorian Embassy in Ghana.
Former President Bedie was in Ghana to attend the just-ended Akwasidae festival of Asanteman held at the Manhyia Palace, Kumasi, Ashanti Region, on Sunday, 8th April, and had earlier visited Nsuta in the region where his forebears are said to hail from.
During the courtesy call, the two former presidents recalled the immense contributions that (as president), Mr. Kufuor offered in resolving the erstwhile Ivorian political crisis, beginning with the Marcoussis (France) talks that were followed by the Accra Accords of the early 2000s that resolved the political crisis that almost caused the partitioning of the country.
Mr. Bedie seized the opportunity to thank ex-President Kufuor for his tremendous efforts in ensuring peace in Cote d’ Ivoire.
The former Ghanaian leader recounted how his political mentor, former Ghanaian Prime Minister Dr. K. A. Busia, was a very close friend of the late Ivorian founding president, Félix Houphouët-Boigny.
Mr. Kufuor was very appreciative of the acknowledgment of his efforts IN restoring peace to the Cote d’Ivoire.
BY Melvin Tarlue