Sidya Touré dies in Paris, four years after leaving Guinea

According to relatives cited by several Guinean media outlets, he died at the American Hospital of Paris, where he had been receiving treatment for nearly two weeks following several months of illness. The exact nature of his illness has not been disclosed.

His former political associate Ousmane Kaba paid tribute to him on Saturday, describing him as “an elder, a companion on the journey, and a big brother.” Sidya Touré had settled in Côte d’Ivoire after the military took power in September 2021 and had not returned to Guinea since 2022.

A trained Treasury inspector, he led the government under Lansana Conté from July 1996 to March 1999. He later became the head of the Union of Republican Forces and ran for the presidency in 2010 and 2015. Appointed as the High Representative of President Alpha Condé in 2016, he left this position in 2018.

His death comes a few months after the dissolution of the UFR and 39 other political parties by Guinean authorities. The program for the repatriation and funeral of the former Prime Minister had not yet been announced by Saturday evening.