Henri Konan Bédié

Aimé Henri Konan Bédié (5 May 1934 – 1 August 2023) was an Ivorian politician. He was President of Côte d'Ivoire from 1993 to 1999, and formerly President of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast – African Democratic Rally (PDCI–RDA). Prior to becoming president, he was a member and president of the National Assembly of Ivory Coast. He unsuccessfully sought another term as president in the 2020 presidential election.

== Early life ==

Aimé Henri Konan Bédié was born in Dadiékro, Daoukro Department, on 5 May 1934. He attended school in France. Bédié married the former Henriette Koizan Bomo in 1957. The couple had four children.

== Career ==

After studying in France, he became Côte d'Ivoire's first ambassador to the United States and Canada following independence in 1960, and from 1966 to 1977, he served in the government as Minister of Economy and Finance. While serving as Finance Minister, Bédié became the first Chairman of the IMF and World Bank's joint Development Committee, holding that post from 1974 to 1976. He was Special Advisor to the World Bank Group's International Finance Corporation from 1978 to 1980.

In 1980, Bédié was elected to the National Assembly of Ivory Coast, and he...