Côte d’Ivoire Vice President Daniel Kablan Duncan resigned from his position, the presidency announced on Monday.
Duncan left the position due to personal reasons, according to the secretary-general of the presidency, Patrick Achi, who spoke to journalists.
Having been appointed to the position in 2017, he was the first leader to occupy the role after its creation by the new constitution in 2016 following a referendum. The post was viewed by many as a means to allow President Alassane Ouattara to groom a successor for when he completed his second and final term in 2020.
The 77-year-old previously served as Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire from 1993-1999 under Henri Konan Bedié and again from 2012-2017 under the current president, Ouattara.
He fled Côte d’Ivoire and went into exile in France in 1999 following a military coup by General Robert Gueï but returned to the West African nation a year later.
Duncan’s resignation is yet another blow to Ouattara’s government which is still coming to terms with the death of prime minister and presidential candidate for the ruling RHDP party, Amadou Gon Coulibaly barely a week ago.
