Djéné Kaba, a discreet woman of influence
The wife of former Guinean President Alpha Condé died on Saturday 8 April 2023 after suffering from an illness at the American Hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Paris. ANA paints a portrait of a woman who fought against maternal and infant mortality in her country.
The Foundation for the Promotion of Maternal and Child Health (Prosmi) mourns its president. The husband of Djéné Kaba Condé, Alpha Condé, also mourns. On Saturday 8 April 2023, the former First Lady died at the American Hospital of Neuilly-sur-Seine in Paris. « Following an illness, » said Prosmi’s press release, as well as the « controversial » one from the Guinean presidency.
The « discreet wife » of the former Guinean president (2010-2021) died at the age of 63 (she was born in 1960 in Kankan in Guinea, editor’s note). It was in this city, capital of the Upper Guinea region, that the young Djené Kaba began her primary education at the Dramé Oumar school. With her primary school certificate (CEP) in hand, she was admitted to the Almamy Samory Touré secondary school, where she obtained the BEPC.
« Djené Kaba began her career at the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACCT), now the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF). «
She then studied at the Lycée 2-Août and the Lycée 1-Mars in Conakry, where she obtained her baccalaureate diploma. This gave her access to the Faculty of Social Sciences and Nature at Donka in Conakry, before moving to Paris in 1984. In particular at the University of Paris-VII, where she obtained a degree in sociology and a master’s degree in « Information-Communication » with honours.
After her university studies, Djené Kaba began a professional career at the Agence de coopération culturelle et technique (ACCT), now the Organisation internationale de la francophonie (OIF), in Paris. She held various positions there for eight years. She then became an advisor at the National Employment Agency (ANPE).
« Her discretion did not make her any less of a first advisor who helped make important decisions. »
An intellectual woman, very discreet throughout the reign of Alpha Condé, Djénè Kaba was no less a political woman. She always campaigned alongside her husband. Hence the reaction of the RPG-Arc-en-Ciel, the former ruling party. The party, through its secretary general, Saloum Cissé, regrets the loss of « a great personality who was for us a first advisor ». And for good reason, he continued, « she was one of those people who, in politics, could guide you on important decisions. When you exchange ideas, she made very deep and constructive analyses.
The various tributes set up Djénè Kaba Condé as « a lady who does not bluff, does not circumvent, when it is the truth she says it without prevarication. She is a great personality who has left us and we will miss her for life.
My vision is that in Guinea, no woman should die while giving birth and no child should be born with HIV/AIDS
In addition to her political activities, the deceased was involved in charitable work. To this end, in March 2011, she created the Condé Djenè Kaba Foundation for the promotion of maternal and child health to reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality in Guinea (Prosmi Foundation). Its managers present it as « a humanist Guinean foundation ». The former Guinean First Lady bases her commitment on one observation: « Since its accession to national sovereignty, Guinea has been confronted with a number of problems, plunging the population into extreme poverty and exposure to all kinds of diseases despite the immense wealth of its soil and subsoil.
« My vision is that of UNAIDS, to which I have subscribed: « In Guinea, no woman should die while giving life and no child should be born with HIV/AIDS », reads his profession of faith published on the Prosmi Foundation website.
