IVORY COAST: LAVISH FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR PRESIDENT'S AUNT

Record ID: 183027

  • Title: IVORY COAST: LAVISH FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR PRESIDENT'S AUNT
  • Date: 30th April 1967
  • Summary: FUNERAL FEAST IN PALACE; PRESIDENT HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY AND GUESTS; BEDROOM, AUNT LYING IN STATE; VARIOUS SHOTS FUNERAL AS COFFIN IS PLACED IN GRAVE. (NATURAL SOUND). Initials AB/V/AS/K Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 15th May 1967 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: YAMOUSSOKRO, IVORY COAST
  • Country: Ivory Coast
  • Reuters ID: LVA9ERSZWLAABM8QB3OMCU8LOWAV
  • Story Text: AFTER FIVE MONTHS OF ELABORATE PREPARATIONS, THOUSANDS OF IVORY COASTS RESIDENTS LAST WEEK TOOK PART IN FUNERAL CELEBRATIONS FOR THE AUNT OF PRESIDENT HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY. THE CELEBRATIONS COST THE EQUIVALENT OF STERLING GBP285,000 (800,000 U.S. DOLLARS), AND LASTED FOR TEN DAYS.

    THE LAVISHLY EXPENSIVE FUNERAL WAS IN THE BEST IVORY COAST TRADITION.

    ALTHOUGH THE PRESIDENT'S AUNT - MADAME KIMOU M'BRA DIED IN NOVEMBER LAST YEAR, CUSTOM DECREED THAT NO BURIAL COULD TAKE PLACE UNTIL FULL PREPARATIONS HAD BEEN MADE.

    AND IN THIS INSTANCE, SINCE MME. M'BRA WAS THE LAST OF THREE ROYAL SISTERS THE WHOLE COUNTRY TOOK A PART.

    LOCAL BELIEF IS THAT WHEN A PERSON DIES ONE HALF OF THE BODY REMAINS ON EARTH WHILE ITS REPLICA GOES TO JOIN ITS ANCESTORS. BUT THE SECOND HALF WILL ALSO REMAIN EARTHBOUND UNTIL SATISFIED THAT THE FUNERAL WAS A SUCCESS.

    IF THE FUNERAL DOES NOT DO JUSTICE TO THE DECEASED, VILLAGES COULD BE HAUNTED AND BAD LUCK COULD FOLLOW. PREPARATIONS FOR MME. M'BRA, THEREFORE, TOOK FIVE MONTHS AND CELEBRATIONS WERE SPREAD OVER TEN DAYS.

    THE PRESIDENTS OF MALI AND NIGER, THE LOCAL DIPLOMATIC AND FOREIGN COMMUNITY, AND ALL MEMBERS OF THE IVORY COAST GOVERNMENT JOINED IN THE EATING AND DRINKING.

    APPROXIMATELY 10,000 PEOPLE WERE FED EACH DAY OF THE CELEBRATIONS, AND WHISKY, CHAMPAGNE AND RED WINE FLOWED.

    MME. M'BRA WAS BURIED IN THE FAMILY TOMB IN THE SACRED FOREST AT YAMOUSSOKRO, PRESIDENT HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY'S BIRTHPLACE.
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