Former Ivory Coast president Henri Konan Bedie has died at the age of 89, according to a communique from his party.

State media reported that Bedie was rushed from his hometown of Daoukro in central Ivory Coast yesterday evening after falling ill.

He travelled by helicopter to a hospital in Abidjan, the nation’s largest city and economic hub, where he passed away.

Until his death, Bedie was president of the Democratic Party of the Ivory Coast, which planned to take part in the nation’s 2025 elections.

In a statement, his party called him a “great statesman” who worked to bring peace to the country and “the Grandeur of our nation”.

A career diplomat and politician, Bedie was head of state in the West African nation from 1993 to 1999 before he was overthrown in a military coup.

The late president was known for promoting the concept of “Ivoirite,” which stoked ethnic and religious tensions and corresponded to an uptick in violence against immigrant groups in the country.