Sidya Toure, Guinea's Ex-PM and Opposition Leader, Dies

Sidya Toure, a prominent figure in Guinean politics and former Prime Minister, passed away at the age of 81 in Paris. He had been hospitalized for two weeks at the American Hospital of Paris after falling ill in Abidjan, where he had lived since leaving Guinea following the September 2021 military coup led by Mamady Doumbouya.

Toure was the leader of the Union of Republican Forces (UFR), one of the major opposition parties in Guinea, which was dissolved in March during a crackdown on civil liberties. He served as Prime Minister from July 1996 until March 1999 under President Lansana Conte, implementing administrative and economic reforms.

After leaving office, he became a leading opposition figure, running for president in 2010 and 2015 but losing both elections. Current Guinean Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah acknowledged Toure's contributions to Guinea's political landscape, describing him as a pragmatic reformer.