Cisse, 71, who was held hostage for six months earlier this 12 months by an armed group, was thought of a number one contender in 2022 presidential polls.
Soumaila Cisse, Mali’s predominant opposition chief who was held hostage for six months earlier this 12 months by an armed group and was thought of a number one contender within the 2022 presidential election, has died in Paris. He was 71.
Ciss died after contracting COVID-19, his eldest son Bocar instructed The Related Press information company on Friday. “The medical doctors did all the pieces to maintain him alive, however that’s the way in which of God’s will,” he stated.
The demise throws Malian politics into new uncertainty. A former chief of the opposition in parliament, Cisse was the runner-up up to now three presidential elections and plenty of thought he had the very best possibilities of lastly successful in 2022.
He was taken hostage by an al-Qaeda-affiliated group in March whereas campaigning for legislative elections in his hometown of Niafunke in northern Mali.
Amid public strain, the Malian authorities obtained his liberation in October, together with that of French and Italian hostages, in change for the discharge of about 200 fighters from Malian prisons.
It was not recognized whether or not a ransom had been paid, although extremist teams have lengthy funded their operations with such funds from European governments.
In an interview after being launched from captivity, Cisse instructed France’s TV5 Monde that his captors moved the hostages by motorbike, boat and even camel. He stated he was held in additional than 20 totally different places.
Whereas he stated he was not abused bodily or verbally, he described extraordinarily tough circumstances within the desert, and stated he lacked the medicine he wanted.
Cisse stated he was capable of hearken to the radio and was angered by information of the August navy coup that overthrew Mali’s democratically elected president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
Mali’s interim chief, Sem Ba N’Daw, expressed his condolences to Cisse’s household and supporters on Friday, saying hundreds of thousands of Malians “are in shock” on the information.
Describing a gathering with Cisse after he was freed, he stated Cisse’s “optimism had remained intact”, and stated “the nation nonetheless wanted his expertise and knowledge to face immediately’s challenges”.
Interim Prime Minister Moctar Ouane additionally expressed his condolences, tweeting that “all of Mali in addition to the African continent mourns certainly one of its courageous sons”.
In his final Fb publish, on Christmas Eve, Cisse wished “a wonderful vacation of pleasure and well being” to Christians in his nation and all over the world, at a time when Mali is going through a number of crises – together with the coronavirus pandemic.
An engineer and IT specialist by coaching, Cisse studied in Senegal and France, the place he labored for large corporations together with IBM earlier than returning to Mali.
No speedy funeral plans have been introduced.