IVORY COAST | IOI mourns the passing away of Honorary Mediator Mathieu Vangah Ekra

The former minister and honorary mediator of Ivory Coast Mathieu Vangah Ekra passed away in Abidjan at the end of February 2015.

Born in 1917, he was one of the protagonists of the Ivorian independence process. After the Ivory Coast had gained independence from France, he played a key role in the country’s political life, successively holding the post of Minister of Tourism (1970), Minister for Reform of Crown corporations (1980) and Grand Mediator of the Republic (2000-2011).

Mathieu Vangah Ekra is also known as a co-author of the national anthem of Ivory Coast, l’Abidjanaise.