Sat May 24 07:57:32 UTC 2025: **Ivory Coast Braces for Elections Amidst Rising Tensions and Disinformation**
Abidjan, Ivory Coast – Ivory Coast is on edge as the October general elections approach, fueled by concerns over a barred opposition candidate and the potential for a fourth term bid by President Alassane Ouattara. This week saw the spread of false coup d’etat rumors on social media, complete with fabricated videos of violence in Abidjan. The Ivorian National Agency for Information Systems Security (ANSSI) has debunked these claims, attributing them to a coordinated disinformation campaign.
The political climate is further strained by the disqualification of popular opposition figure Tidjane Thiam from the presidential race due to a contested citizenship technicality. Thiam is appealing the ruling, alleging political motivations behind the ban.
The situation is particularly sensitive given Ivory Coast’s history of election-related violence, including a 2010 conflict that escalated into a civil war, resulting in thousands of deaths. The potential candidacy of President Ouattara, despite constitutional term limits, has also fueled public anxiety. While his supporters argue a 2016 constitutional amendment reset his term count, critics contend he is overstaying his welcome.
Past elections were violent: during the October 2010 general election, former President Laurent Gbagbo refused to hand over power to Ouattara, who was proclaimed the winner by the electoral commission. Tense political negotiations failed, and the situation eventually spiralled into armed civil war, with Ouattara’s forces, backed by French troops, besieging Gbagbo’s national army. France is the former colonial power in Ivory Coast, and Ouattara has close ties to Paris. Some 3,000 people were killed in the violence.
Adding to the complexity, the country faces rising anti-French sentiment, similar to that seen in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso. While Ouattara has been credited with economic stability and some political reconciliation, he faces criticism for alleged unconstitutional power grabs and close ties to France. His opponents accuse him of coercing state institutions into railroading his political opponents, including in the latest case involving Thiam.
Thiam remains committed to attracting industrial investment to the country as he once did as minister, and to remove the country from the France-backed CFA currency economy that comprises West and Central African countries formerly colonised by France, and sees their currencies pegged to the euro. Meanwhile, other strong candidates include Pascal Affi N’Guessan, 67, a former prime minister and close ally of Gbagbo, who will represent Gbagbo’s Ivorian Popular Front (FPI). Simone Gbagbo, the former first lady who is now divorced from Gbagbo, will also run, as the nominee for the Movement of the Capable Generations.
Ivory Coast is now at a precarious crossroads, with the looming elections and the legacy of past conflicts raising concerns about potential instability. The coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether the country can navigate these challenges peacefully.
First Piper 