Koffi Panou

Panou in Lomé, 1994

Koffi Panou (January 31, 1947 – March 15, 2003[1]) was a Togolese politician and diplomat who served in the government under President Gnassingbé Eyadéma.

Panou, who was from Lacs Prefecture in southern Togo,[2] graduated from ESIJY in Yaoundé, Cameroon in the 1970s and worked as a journalist. He became Director of National Television[1][2] in 1986,[1] then was a Special Advisor to the President.[2] After serving as Secretary-General of the Presidency, he was named Minister of Foreign Affairs[1][2] in 1996, in which position he served until September 1, 1998, when he was named Minister of Communication and Civic Education.[2] After two years in the latter position, he was again named Minister of Foreign Affairs on October 8, 2000.[3] He was a member of the West African mediation group during the Ivorian Civil War and participated in the cease-fire negotiations.[1] He remained Foreign Minister until being replaced by Roland Kpotsra in the government named on December 3, 2002.[4][5][6]

Panou, who had been ill and had been to France for treatment at Val-de-Grâce Military Hospital,[1] died of a heart attack[7] on March 15, 2003[1][7] in Kara Region. He was participating in a traditional dance at the funeral of his mother, who had died in 1999, in Kabou, Bassar Prefecture, when he fell ill, and he died while he was being taken for treatment.[1] His national funeral was held in Lomé on March 27.[7] The funeral oration speech was performed by Charles Kondi Agba, a government minister.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Le Togo et le RPT en deuil :Les Ex-Ministres Koffi Panou et Kokou Amédégnato décédés", Akéklé, number 179, March 17, 2003 (French).
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Short biography at the Wayback Machine (archived March 14, 2005), Afrique Express (French).
  3. ↑ "Le gouvernement du Togo formé le 8 octobre 2000", Afrique Express (French). Archived October 28, 2004, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ "Les hommes de confiance d’Eyadéma au placard !", Le Togolais, number 21, December 2–8, 2002 (French).
  5. ↑ List of Togolese government ministers at the Wayback Machine (archived October 28, 2005), presse-francophone.org (French).
  6. ↑ "Dec 2002 - Togo", Keesing's Record of World Events, volume 48, December 2002, Togo, page 45,131.
  7. 1 2 3 François Soudan, "Koffi Panou : mort d'un fidèle", Jeune Afrique, March 30, 2003 (French).
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