BAMAKO, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- The leader of Mali's opposition party, Union for Republic and Democracy (URD), Soumaila Cisse, died of COVID-19 Friday morning in Paris, his party confirmed.
"Dear comrades, it is very sad that our dear President Soumaila Cisse has just left us in Paris this morning," URD Communication Secretary Demba Traore announced on social media.
Cisse, who served in the Malian government as cabinet minister and also as president of the Commission for the Economic and Monetary Union of West Africa, was released on Oct. 9 after more than six months in captivity.
He was kidnapped on March 25 in northern Mali by armed men, while campaigning for legislative election.
His kidnapping was seen as one of the reasons that led to mass demonstrations on June 5 that later triggered a military mutiny forcing then president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to resign. Enditem
