Ibrahima Kassory Fofana (born 15 April 1954) is a
Guinea
Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...
n
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
who served as
Prime Minister of Guinea
This article lists the prime ministers of Guinea, since the establishment of the office of Prime Minister in 1972.
List
Key
;''Political parties''
*
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;''Other factions''
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Officeholders
Notes
Timeline
See also
*Guinea
**List of ...
between 21 May 2018 and 5 September 2021.
A macro-economist and specialist in economic policy, he previously held several strategic positions in the Guinean administration, including State minister for investments and public-private partnerships under the presidency of
Alpha Condé
Alpha Condé (N'Ko: ; born 4 March 1938) is a Guinean politician who served as the fourth president of Guinea from 2010 to 2021.
Condé spent decades in opposition to a succession of regimes in Guinea, unsuccessfully running against President La ...
and
Minister of Economy and Finance under the presidency of
, and was candidate for the
2010 presidential elections.
Biography
Ibrahima Kassory Fofana was born in
Forécariah
Forécariah (N’ko: ߝߏߙߋߞߊߙߌߦߊ߫) is a sub-prefecture and town located in western Guinea. It is the capital of Forécariah Prefecture.
As of 2008, the population was estimated to be around 21,710. Famous people
It was the birthp ...
(Lower Guinea) into a peasant family descended from Muslim imams.
Early life
A graduate with honours of the
Gamal Abdel Nasser University of Conakry
Gamal Abdel Nasser University of Conakry (in French ''L'Université Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry'', UGANC), is the largest university in Guinea and located in Dixinn Commune, Conakry, Guinea. The name is generally shortened to the University o ...
, in 1978 he joined the research department of the ministry of international cooperation as deputy director. Later, he rose in the ministry of planning and cooperation to become director of international cooperation (1986) and director of public Investments (1991).
Ministerial rise
He then enjoyed a meteoric rise in the first circle of the Guinean president
, over whom he enjoyed great influence. In 1994 as minister without portfolio, he was general administrator in charge of major national projects and oversaw the restructuring of state-owned companies and the economic reforms necessary to shift the Guinean economy from a socialist to a liberal model. He became in 1996 minister for the budget and the restructuring of the parapublic sector.
He was promoted in 1998 to become
Minister of Economy and Finance, a key position he held until 2000.
He was able to successfully carry out a structural adjustment program with the
IMF and the
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...
. He also initiated the first anti-corruption program in Guinea, which led to arrests and court cases against the executives concerned, and a program to clean up the civil service list which resulted in savings of billions of Guinean francs for the public treasury.
During this time he was also Guinea's governor at the
African Development Bank
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) or (BAD) is a multilateral development finance institution headquartered in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, since September 2014. The AfDB is a financial provider to African governments and private companies i ...
(1996-2000) and Guinea's administrator at the
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster globa ...
(1998-2000). He was also member of the Board of many Guinean private and public companies.
Exile and entry into politics
In 2000 he left government for reasons said to include conflict with the army over its expenses, and manipulation orchestrated against him by the entourage of President
. He decided to go abroad, first to Senegal and then to the United States.
In 2002 in the United States, he obtained a postgraduate doctorate in development, finance and banking from the
American University
The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was charte ...
in Washington and became international consultant.
In 2009, under the military transition after the death of President
, he returned to Conakry and created the Guinea for All party (GPT), which was notable in the Guinean political landscape for its categorical rejection of ethnic favoritism. One of the 24 candidates in the first
Guinean democratic presidential election of 2010, he presented a program focused on improving governance, decentralization and regional integration, ranking 11th in the first round with 0.66% of the vote. In the second round, he chose to vote in favor of
Alpha Condé
Alpha Condé (N'Ko: ; born 4 March 1938) is a Guinean politician who served as the fourth president of Guinea from 2010 to 2021.
Condé spent decades in opposition to a succession of regimes in Guinea, unsuccessfully running against President La ...
, who won the ballot with 52.52% of the votes.
He later split with his former ally amid disagreements over the disputed organization of the country's first democratic parliamentary elections. He fought alongside the opposition for holding transparent elections and took part in street demonstrations.
President Alpha Condé’s ally
In the aftermath of the September
2013 legislative elections, where GPT obtained one seat out of 114, he re-established friendly relations with
Alpha Condé
Alpha Condé (N'Ko: ; born 4 March 1938) is a Guinean politician who served as the fourth president of Guinea from 2010 to 2021.
Condé spent decades in opposition to a succession of regimes in Guinea, unsuccessfully running against President La ...
who had asked for his help with the country's economic recovery. He decided to make a useful alliance by joining the presidential camp.
In 2014, he became State Minister in charge of investments and public-private partnerships at the Administration of President
Alpha Condé
Alpha Condé (N'Ko: ; born 4 March 1938) is a Guinean politician who served as the fourth president of Guinea from 2010 to 2021.
Condé spent decades in opposition to a succession of regimes in Guinea, unsuccessfully running against President La ...
. In this strategic - and newly created - post, he coordinated efforts at home and abroad to mobilize the resources necessary for prioritizing investments. He was behind the diversification of partnerships towards emerging countries, such as China, from which he obtained $20 billion in investments.
He was campaign director for President
Alpha Condé
Alpha Condé (N'Ko: ; born 4 March 1938) is a Guinean politician who served as the fourth president of Guinea from 2010 to 2021.
Condé spent decades in opposition to a succession of regimes in Guinea, unsuccessfully running against President La ...
in the October
2015 Guinean presidential election, for which his GPT party did not present a candidate.
In May 2018, he dissolved GPT and joined the RPG-Arc-en-Ciel, the ruling coalition.
Prime minister
On 21 May 2018 Ibrahima Kassory Fofana was appointed by President
Alpha Condé
Alpha Condé (N'Ko: ; born 4 March 1938) is a Guinean politician who served as the fourth president of Guinea from 2010 to 2021.
Condé spent decades in opposition to a succession of regimes in Guinea, unsuccessfully running against President La ...
Prime Minister of Guinea. He announced an ambitious poverty reduction program aimed at lifting 40% of Guineans, which represents six million people, out of extreme poverty by 2025.
2021 Guinea coup
On 5 September 2021, the entire Guinean government was dissolved following Condé's arrest and overthrow in the
2021 Guinean coup.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kassory Fofana, Ibrahima
1954 births
Living people
Susu people
Gamal Abdel Nasser University of Conakry alumni
Finance ministers of Guinea
Government ministers of Guinea
Prime Ministers of Guinea
People from Kindia Region
21st-century Guinean politicians