LIFE AND LEGACY OF EMILE DOUDOU

Émile Boga Doudou was a prominent Ivorian politician known for his role as minister of state for the interior and decentralization from 2000 to 2002. Born in 1952 in Domaboué, near Lakota, Côte d'Ivoire, Doudou's career in public service was deeply intertwined with the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), of which he was a founding member. His life was tragically cut short when he was killed during the failed coup attempt that marked the start of the Ivorian Civil War on September 19, 2002.

Doudou's educational and professional background was in law, and he was married with three children. His political career took off in the 1980s when he became a founding member of the FPI in 1982. By 1988, Doudou was part of the secretariat-general of the FPI and maintained his position until 2001. His contributions were not limited to party leadership; he also served as an FPI candidate in the National Assembly, where he was elected in the 1990 and 1995 parliamentary elections and served as the president of the FPI Parliamentary Group.

As a close ally of FPI leader Laurent Gbagbo, Doudou's political trajectory followed Gbagbo's rise to power. After Gbagbo won the presidential election in October 2000, Doudou was appointed as minister of state for the interior and decentralization on October 27, 2000. His tenure was marked by controversy, particularly when he presented firearms seized at a mosque on national television on December 5, 2000.

Doudou was elected to the National Assembly again in the December 2000 parliamentary election, and although he initially sought the post of president of the National Assembly, he withdrew his candidacy, allowing Mamadou Koulibaly to take the role unopposed. He continued to hold his ministerial position and in July 2001, Doudou was elected as the third vice-president of the FPI, a newly created position.

His life ended during the failed coup attempt on September 19, 2002, in Abidjan. The uprising, which targeted police bases and government officials, left Doudou and at least 80 loyalist soldiers dead. This violent episode marked the beginning of the Ivorian Civil War.

Doudou's funeral was held on August 1, 2003. His body was taken in a solemn procession from a hospital morgue in Treichville, Abidjan, to the National Assembly, where deputies paid their last respects. A requiem mass was held at the Saint-Paul Cathedral in Plateau, Abidjan, before his body was transported to his home town for burial. Doudou's death and his contributions to the political landscape of Côte d'Ivoire remain significant in the nation's history.

Reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89mile_Boga_Doudou