Seychelles president sends condolences following passing of former Qatari Emir

Seychelles President Danny Faure. (State House)

(Seychelles News Agency) - The President of Seychelles Danny Faure has expressed condolences after the death of Qatar’s former Emir Sheikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al-Thani.

The former Qatari ruler died at age 84 on Sunday, according to Qatar News Agency, which did not give details about his cause of death.

In his message addressed to the current Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, President Faure expressed sympathy to the Qatari Royal family and people of Qatar.

The Seychellois head of state said the late Emir would be remembered “for the significant contributions that he had made in the transformation of the State of Qatar.”

“The Republic of Seychelles and the State of Qatar share a history of friendly and cooperative relations. We deeply appreciate the pivotal role played by his Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al-Thani in forging the strong brotherly partnership which our two countries share and value,” he added.

According to an AFP article, Qatar declared three days of mourning on Monday following the death of the former ruler, who is also the grandfather of the current Emir.

Sheikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al-Thani, viewed as the one who oversaw the start of Qatar’s transformation into an energy powerhouse, came to power in February 1972, just months after the country gained independence from Britain.

He was deposed in a non-violent coup by his son, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, who was defense minister at the time, while on a private visit to Europe in 1995.

He remained in exile in France for almost a decade, before returning to Qatar in 2004 but kept a low profile and was rarely seen in public.