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Robert Guéï
Robert Guéï was a military leader and brief president of Côte d'Ivoire who played a pivotal role during a critical period in the nation's history. After rising through the ranks to become chief of the army, Guéï was thrust into political leadership following a coup in 1999. Though he did not orchestrate the coup, he was called out of retirement to lead the country.
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ROBERT GUEI
Robert Guéï was born on 16 March 1941 in the village of Kabakouma in the western region of Ivory Coast. A member of the Yacouba ethnic group, Guéï pursued a military career, receiving his training under the French administration at both the Ouagadougou military school and the prestigious St Cyr military academy in France. His career was closely linked to the long-serving Ivorian President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who appointed Guéï as the chief of the army in 1990 following a mutiny. This position solidified his reputation as a loyal and capable soldier.
However, the political landscape shifted dramatically after Houphouët-Boigny's death in 1993. The new president, Henri Konan Bédié, began to distance himself from Guéï, a rift that became particularly evident in 1995 when Guéï refused to use his military influence to intervene in a political dispute between Bédié and opposition leader Alassane Ouattara. This act of defiance led to Guéï's dismissal from his military post. Although he was briefly made a minister, he was removed from this position as well in 1996, and by January 1997, he was forced into retirement from the army.
The Christmas Eve coup of 1999, which ousted Bédié, marked a turning point in Guéï's life. Although he did not orchestrate the coup, his popularity as a general led to his emergence from retirement to head the ruling junta. By early January 2000, Guéï assumed the presidency, with the promise of guiding the country toward democratic elections. In the October 2000 presidential election, Guéï ran as an independent candidate, but the election was widely regarded as unfair, with only one opposition candidate, Laurent Gbagbo, allowed to contest against him. Despite Guéï's defeat, he refused to acknowledge the results, which led to widespread protests that eventually forced him to relinquish power and flee to Gouessesso near the Liberian border.
Though Guéï remained on the periphery of politics, participating in a reconciliation forum in 2001 and pledging to uphold democratic principles, he later withdrew from these commitments in September 2002. His life came to a tragic end on 19 September 2002, during the early hours of the Ivorian civil war. He, along with his wife Rose Doudou Guéï and several family members, was killed under mysterious circumstances in Abidjan's Cocody district, an act widely believed to have been carried out by forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo. The tragedy also claimed the life of the Ivorian interior minister, Émile Boga Doudou.
After his death, Guéï's body remained in a morgue for nearly four years until a funeral was held for him in Abidjan on 18 August 2006. His life and death continue to be a poignant chapter in Côte d'Ivoire's turbulent history.
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GOVERNING TIME LINE
Robert Guéï assumed the presidency of Côte d'Ivoire on 4 January 2000, following a coup on Christmas Eve 1999 that ousted President Henri Konan Bédié. Although Guéï was not involved in the coup itself, his popularity as a respected general led to his being called out of retirement to lead the transitional government. His rule was marked by his attempt to solidify power by standing as an independent candidate in the October 2000 presidential election. However, after being defeated by opposition candidate Laurent Gbagbo, Guéï refused to accept the results. His refusal to step down sparked widespread protests, which ultimately forced him out of office. On 26 October 2000, Guéï fled to Gouessesso near the Liberian border, marking the end of his brief and tumultuous tenure as president.