Ivory Coast Prime Minister Hamed Bakayoko has died in Germany where he was receiving medical treatment, the government said on Wednesday.

A former media executive who turned to politics, Bakayoko acted as a negotiator and intermediary between warring factions during a prolonged civil conflict in Ivory Coast from the early 2000s.

“He was a great statesman, a model for our youth, a personality of great generosity and exemplary loyalty,” President Ouattara said on Twitter.

A close ally of Ouattara, he was appointed as prime minister in July 2020 following the sudden death of his predecessor Amadou Gon Coulibaly, who had been handpicked by Ouattara to succeed him. He was seen as a possible successor to President Alassane Ouattara. 

Bakayoko was flown to France on Feb. 18 for medical checks and later to Freiburg in Germany. Ouattara said he died of cancer.

The government said in a statement on Friday that Ouattara had met Bakayoko during a visit in France the previous week, and given the state of the minister’s health, it was recommended that his hospitalisation should be extended.

“He was a key player in the political game and a major player in reconciliation. It’s a true shame,” said Issiaka Sangare, spokesman for the opposition Ivorian Popular Front.

Bakayoko abandoned medical school to launch Le Patriote newspaper in the early 1990s, enabling him to build ties with various actors on the Ivorian political scene.