Former Ivorian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amara Essy has died at his home in Abidjan, at the age of 80.
Essy was Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation from 1990 to 1999, first serving under President Félix Houphouet-Boigny.
A close friend of Félix Houphouet-Boigny, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Côte d’Ivoire for nearly a decade.
In this capacity, he chaired the 49th session of the United Nations General Assembly between September 1994 and September 1995.
Secretary General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 2001, Essy Amara, a giant of African diplomacy, became interim chairperson of the African Union Commission when it was established in July 2002.
AP/Sf/fss/as/APA