Sékou Kourouma (1956[1] – 18 April 2020) was a Guinean politician, political aide and advisor to Guinean President Alpha Condé. He held the position of chief of staff to Condé, a high-ranking post officially known as the Secretary General of the Government, until his death from COVID-19.[2][3][4] Kourouma, who was also a former Minister of Public Works, was a relative of Condé.[2][3][4]
Kourouma died from complications of COVID-19 at age 65 on Saturday 18 April 2020 at Donka Hospital in Conakry.[2][3][4][5] Guinea's Minister of Health, Colonel Remy Lamah, confirmed Kourouma's death that evening, while the Office of the President issued statements and tweets the next day.[2][4] Kourouma's death was the latest in a string of high-profile deaths of officials during the COVID-19 pandemic in Guinea.[2][5] In addition to Kourouma, the head of Guinea's electoral commission, Amadou Salif Kebe, died of COVID-19 on 17 April 2020, just 24 hours earlier.[2][3][4][5] Victor Traoré, the director of Guinea's Interpol bureau, also died from COVID-19 in April.[2][4]
Kourouma was also the second Chief of Staff to a West African president to die from COVID-19 in April 2020. Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari, died from COVID-19 on 17 April 2020, the day before Kourouma's death.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ Sanoh, Sekou (2020-04-20). "Conakry : mort du Covid-19, le ministre Sékou Kourouma a été inhumé ce lundi". Guinéenews.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Africa's top coronavirus deaths: Guinea president's right-hand man succumbs". Africanews. 2020-04-20. Archived from the original on 2020-04-21. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
- ^ a b c d Boundou Sylla, Youssouf (2020-04-18). "Guinée: Sekou Kourouma secrétaire général du gouvernement emporté par le Coronavirus". Guineenews.org. Archived from the original on 2020-04-20. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
- ^ a b c d e f "Guinée: Mort de Sékou Kourouma, secrétaire général du gouvernement, des suites du Covid-19". TV5Monde. 2020-04-20. Archived from the original on 2020-04-24. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
- ^ a b c "Urgent: le ministre Sékou Kourouma est mort du Coronavirus à Donka". AfricaGuineene.com. 2020-04-18. Archived from the original on 2020-04-19. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
- ^ "Buhari's Chief Of Staff Abba Kyari Dies". The Guardian (Nigeria). 18 April 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.