The main Imam of the Great Mosque of the Riviera-Golf, a swanky district in the east of Abidjan, El Hadj Mamadou Traore was appointed on Friday as the new head of the Superior Council of Imams, Mosques and Muslim Affairs in Cote d’Ivoire (COSIM),
Traore’s ascension means he is also the Supreme leader of the Ivorian Muslim community, replacing the late Boikary Fofana.
Imam Cisse Diguiba Abdallah, the spokesperson for the COSIM Transition College confirmed the appointment after the organization’s conclave.
The late Cheick Aima Boikary Fofana, the former COSIM president died on May 17 in Abidjan of Covid-19 at the age of 77.
He was buried two days later (May 19) at the Williamsville cemetery in Abidjan.
His successor Traore who was one of Fofana’s advisers is a 76 year old father of five and a banker by training.
He had a 27-year career (1972-1999) at the Societe Ivoirienne de Banque (SIB) before retiring.
Imam Mamadou Traore taught the Arabic language for three years (1980-1983) at the Faculty of Letters at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny University in Abidjan.
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