Louis Delamare (November 4, 1921 – September 4, 1981) was a French politician and diplomat. He was ambassador of France to
Benin from 1969 to 1972 and to
Lebanon from 1979 until his murder on September 4, 1981.
Early life
Louis Delamare was born on November 12, 1921, in the commune of
Trouville-sur-Mer, Normandy. He studied at the
École nationale d'administration.
Career
Delamare worked in various positions within the administration of the
Ministry of foreign affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
from 1961 to 1963 and then as technical advisor to the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1966 until 1967. He was appointed director of the cabinet of the Minister of Information in April 1967 and was member of the board of directors of the
Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (ORTF). In 1969 he was appointed French ambassador to Benin until 1972.
Murder
In August 1979, he was appointed
French ambassador to Lebanon and resided in
Beirut at the time of the
Lebanese Civil War. He was murdered in a possible kidnapping attempt on September 4, 1981, when a white BMW carrying four gunmen pulled in front of the ambassador's Peugeot
Peugeot 604
The Peugeot 604 is an executive car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot from 1975 to 1985. 153,252 cars were sold during its 10-year production life. It was made in France and also assembled by Kia in South Korea.
The Pininfarina-designed ...
 on the road leading to his residence in the predominantly islamic West Beirut. The gunmen tried to open the doors of the Peugeot, but failing that they opened fire through the right rear window and escaped in their BMW. Delamare sustained several bullet wounds in the head and body and died in the Barbir Hospital during his operation. Delamare's body was transferred to France the next day and is now buried in
Tourgéville
Tourgéville () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.
The Deauville-Clairefontaine Racecourse
Deauville-Clairefontaine Racecourse is a horse race track located in Tourgéville near Deauville in ...
.
Personal life
Delamare was married and had 4 children. His wife Françoise died in 2005.
[{{Cite web , title=French Ambassador Louis Delamare was shot and killed today... – UPI Archives , url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/09/04/French-Ambassador-Louis-Delamare-was-shot-and-killed-today/1029368424000/ , access-date=2024-03-07 , website=UPI , language=en]
References
20th-century French diplomats
Ambassadors of France to Lebanon
École nationale d'administration alumni
1921 births
Deaths by firearm in Lebanon
Assassinated French people
People murdered in Lebanon
1981 murders in Asia
1981 deaths
Murder in Beirut
1980s crimes in Beirut
Assassinations in Lebanon
People of the Lebanese Civil War
French people murdered abroad
Assassinated ambassadors