The President of the Republic, elevated to the dignity of Grand Cross of the National Order of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, pays tribute to the memory of Félix Houphouët-Boigny

On Thursday June 15, 2023, President Denis Sassou-N'Guesso completed a four-day official visit to Côte d'Ivoire, at the invitation of his counterpart President Alassane Ouattara. The visit, under the banner of fraternity and unwavering friendship between the two countries, consolidated the Brazzaville-Abidjan axis, two of the most influential capitals in French-speaking Africa.

On the evening of his arrival, the President of the Republic of Congo was elevated by his host to the dignity of Grand Cross of the National Order of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, in recognition of his constant commitment to peace and reconciliation. The following day, Tuesday June 13, he was made an honorary citizen of the city of Abidjan, at a ceremony held at the Abidjan Autonomous District Town Hall. He also received the title of Aké and Akan traditional chief during the same ceremony.

President Denis Sassou-N'Guesso ended his tour in Yamoussoukro, birthplace of the late Félix Houphouët-Boigny, on June 14. Laying a wreath at his mausoleum, he paid a vibrant tribute to the man who was both the father of independence and the architect of the first Ivorian economic miracle, and who remains a source of admiration for the leaders of contemporary Africa.