APA – Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire) – This cancellation follows the ten-day mourning period declared after the death of former Ivorian president Henri Konan Bédié on August 1, 2023 in Abidjan.
Festivities to mark the 63rd anniversary of Cote d’Ivoire’s independence, scheduled to take place on the Grand-Bassam toll motorway, 40 km south-east of Abidjan, had been “cancelled.”
Instead, a low-keyed parade will be held on 7 August 2023 at the Palace of the Presidency of the Republic, in Plateau, Abidjan’s business centre, a statement said.
In addition, the inauguration ceremonies for the 5th Abidjan Bridge, linking the Plateau and Cocody Districts, and the celebration of the National Day of Excellence have been postponed to a later date, the statement added.
President Alassane Ouattara, has declared ten days of national mourning from 2 to 11 August 2023, following Mr Bedie’s death on August 1, 2023 at the age of 89.
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