Former Guinean prime minister and leader of the Union of Republican Forces, Sidya Touré, died on Friday evening at the American Hospital in Paris aged 81, after his health deteriorated. Tributes were issued by the government and several leading opposition figures and political personalities in Guinea. Touré had been ill in Abidjan for more than 3 months before being transferred to Paris in critical condition, where he remained in hospital for about two weeks.
Government and opposition leaders pay tribute to Sidya Touré
Family sources did not disclose the nature of his illness, while his family decided to bury him in Abidjan. Prime Minister Bah Oury mourned the late politician in a post on X, saying he had received the news of his death “with profound sadness”. He added: “On behalf of the president and the government, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, relatives and all those who loved him.”
Oury described Touré as a prominent figure in Guinean political life for 3 decades, highlighting in particular his record as a pragmatic reformer. His statement was among a series of messages from officials and opposition figures mourning the former prime minister.
Touré’s government legacy and political alliances
Former prime minister Cellou Dalein Diallo said in a message posted on social media that Guinea had lost “one of its brave sons, forced into exile and stripped of his property”. Diallo recalled serving as a minister in the government that General Lansana Conté appointed Touré to lead, following the events of 2 and 3 February 1996.
He said Touré’s appointment as prime minister enabled Guinea to resume relations with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, while addressing the electricity crisis and reviving growth. Diallo referred to their alliance in the second round of the 2010 presidential election, followed by the founding of a coalition of political parties that later became the Republican Opposition.
He added that they were jointly subjected to harassment and dispossession, their names were removed from the electoral register, and the parties they led were dissolved, before exile brought them together again in Abidjan.
Political tributes to the late statesman
Former Guinean president Alpha Condé, who appointed Touré as his high representative between 2016 and 2018, said that despite their differences, he had always regarded him as a statesman and servant of the republic, and as a man characterised by conviction, rigour and commitment.
Condé added that it was regrettable for a man who had given so much to his country to suffer exile at the end of his life, saying the republic owed all those who had served it respect for their rights, dignity and memory. Ousmane Kaba, president of the PADES party and a former minister and MP, also mourned Touré, describing him as an “older brother” and saying their relationship had lasted nearly 30 years.
Sidya Touré, former Guinean prime minister and leader of the Union of Republican Forces, served as prime minister from July 1996 to March 1999. He ran for president in 2010 and 2015; his party was dissolved in March.
Former Guinean prime minister and leader of the Union of Republican Forces
- July 1996 to March 1999
Prime ministership
Former prime minister Kabiné Komara also recalled his relationship with Touré, saying it began in 1990 and that he drew on Touré’s expertise when preparing an emergency electricity programme while serving as prime minister. Sidya Touré was prime minister under Lansana Conté from July 1996 to March 1999.
- 2010 and 2015
Running for president
After leaving the government, he led the Union of Republican Forces and ran in the 2010 and 2015 presidential elections, finishing third in 2010. After the army seized power in September 2021, Touré was forced in early 2022 to vacate his private residence in the capital, Conakry, after the authorities deemed it state property.
- February 2025
Cancellation of property ownership decrees
In February 2025, the Supreme Court issued a final ruling cancelling the property ownership decrees granted to Touré. In March last year, the Union of Republican Forces was among about 40 parties dissolved by the Guinean authorities.
Exile and the dispute over his property in Guinea
His lawyer at the time said his client was absent from Guinea “because he no longer had a home” there, describing the measures taken against him as unjust and arbitrary. In an earlier television interview, Touré said: “I no longer have a home in Guinea.” He said he was not wanted by the Court for the Repression of Economic and Financial Crimes, but explained that he felt threatened and was waiting for security guarantees to become clear before considering a return to his country.
