Cote d'Ivoire's National Assembly Speaker dies

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) - The Speaker of the National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire, Amadou Soumahoro, died on Saturday, the Ivorian President, Allassane Ouattara, has announced.

"I have the deep sorrow to announce the death, on Saturday, May 7, 2022, of the Speaker of the National Assembly, my younger brother, Amadou Soumahoro," Ouattara said in a statement.

The Ivorian president paid tribute to a "great statesman, whose commitment and political career have marked our country".

"Cote d'Ivoire has lost a valiant son, a man of conviction and duty. I have lost a faithful companion, a loyal and devoted friend," he said, offering his deepest condolences to the late Speaker's family and friends.

-0- PANA NTDD/JSG/MTA/MA 9May2022