Amadou Koné, new president of Côte d’Ivoire’s Union of Cities and Communes
The Union of Cities and Communes of Côte d’Ivoire (UVICOCI) celebrated its 41st anniversary on July 6, with a new president elected the previous day in the person of Mr. Amadou Koné, Mayor of Bouaké. He thus becomes the 7th president of the umbrella association of Mayors of Côte d’Ivoire. The current Minister of Transport succeeds Minister Paulin Claude Danho, Deputy Mayor of Attécoubé, current 1st Vice-Governor of the Autonomous District of Abidjan.
The new president of UVICOCI, Amadou Koné, expressed his gratitude for the trust placed in him, and promised to work closely with all UVICOCI members. He also stressed the importance of solidarity between municipalities and the need to pool resources for harmonious, sustainable development.
As mayor of Bouaké, Amadou Koné has demonstrated his commitment and vision for local development. He has been at the helm of Côte d’Ivoire’s second largest city since September 2023. His priorities as president of UVICOCI include promoting decentralization, improving municipal infrastructure and strengthening the ability of local governments to meet the needs of their populations.
Established on July 06, 1983, UVICOCI’s role is to support the communalization policy, which aims to promote the effective transfer of powers and related resources between the State and local authorities.
Express Bio
Amadou Koné has been Minister of Transport since January 11, 2017. With a degree in Geographic Engineering from Laval University in Canada and a Master’s in Territorial Planning from the University of Cocody (Abidjan), Amadou Koné first joined the government in 2005 as Minister of Tourism. Later appointed Minister of African Integration in 2007, he became Executive Director of the African Development Bank in 2011 for Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Conakry. Long before his ministerial portfolios and his move to the AfDB, Amadou Koné was Special Advisor to the Prime Minister in charge of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants, from 2004 to 2006.