IVORY COAST
IVORY COAST – 3 Belarusian and Ivorian pilots tried in Paris for the bombing of the French camp of Bouaké in 2004
In 2004, an attack attributed to the Ivorian army left 10 dead in a French camp in Operation Licorne, in the midst of a war between rebels in the north and loyalists in the south. Since then, justice has dragged on and Paris has been accused by certain civil parties of wanting to cover up the case. By Agence Ecofin
This Monday, March 29, 2021, the trial of three suspects linked to the bombing of the French camp of Bouaké in 2004 opened at the Paris Assize Court. The three men are accused of carrying out the attack that claimed the lives of nine French soldiers and one American civilian.
Belarusian mercenary Yury Sushkin and Ivorians Ange Magloire Gnanduillet Attualy and Patrice Ouei will be tried in absentia after a trial which is already causing a stir. Indeed, many gray areas remain unclear, and the plaintiffs from the families of the victims seem to see behind it a plot that has derailed.
It should be remembered that the facts are linked to the Ivorian crisis of the 2000s, which opposed the north of the country, defended by rebels, to the south loyal to President Laurent Gbagbo. At the beginning of November 2004, the latter launched an air offensive against the rebel positions in the north, under the watchful eye of the French forces of Operation Licorne, which have been deployed since 2002 between the two camps to avoid an attack. civil war.
Everything changed on November 6, when around 1:20 p.m., two Ivorian hunters flying over a French camp in Bouaké in the center of the country fired rockets to everyone’s surprise. The attack claimed the lives of ten people and left around 40 injured.
But the affair, which will serve as a pretext for the French army to destroy the Ivorian air force, does not end there. The next day, a group of Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian mercenaries who could potentially include suspects was arrested by French soldiers, but released four days later. On November 16, 2004, eight Belarusians from Côte d’Ivoire, including Yury Sushkin, were arrested in Togo, who notified the French authorities. Oddly, Paris asks that they be released.
17 years after the fact, the main suspects are still running. Even if they are tried, the three pilots targeted by the trial which starts in Paris will not be present, as they have never been arrested. On the side of the families of the victims, but also many Ivorians who expressed their hostility towards France after the reprisals against the Ivorian air force, we denounce a “French manipulation”.
According to them, the government of the day tried to simulate an attack on its own soldiers, in order to trigger a French reaction against Laurent Gbagbo, who was not known to be a “friend” of France. Unfortunately, things would have escalated, say supporters of the conspiracy theory, adding that since then Paris has tried to hide the truth and the sponsors of the attack.
“This trial could have been finished, finished in 2005, maximum in 2006. We could possibly have known exactly who are the sponsors, which we do not know at all until now. Why don’t we know them? Because we did everything not to know them. And when we do everything to not know the sponsors, we ask ourselves questions. Who are the real people responsible for the bombing of Bouaké? While knowing that Laurent Gbagbo had nothing to do with it, and that they knew from the first second ”, criticizes Me Jean Balan, one of the lawyers for the civil parties.
While Franco-Ivorian relations have improved markedly since Alassane Ouattara came to power, the opaque undersides of this affair continue to fuel rumors. It remains to be seen whether this trial will provide answers to questions that have arisen for 17 years, or on the contrary whether it will give rise to new questions.
Source : Agence Ecofin / By Moutiou Adjibi Nourou
Initially scheduled for Wednesday, June 11, 2025, the major march of the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire – African Democratic Rally (PDCI-RDA), the main opposition party in Côte d’Ivoire, will finally take place on Saturday, June 14, 2025. This postponement was announced by the party’s Executive Secretary, who points out that the decision came after discussions between the PDCI leadership and the authorities of the Abidjan department. The details of these discussions have not been made public.
This demonstration, highly anticipated by the party’s activists and supporters, aims to support the candidacy of its president, Tidjane Thiam, in the presidential election of 2025, and to protest against his removal from the electoral list. A decision that the party qualifies as unfair and unacceptable, arguing for the right of all Ivorian citizens, including those with dual nationality, to participate in the political life of the country.
The route of the march remains unchanged: the protesters will leave from the SOCOCE space of the 2 Plateaux, in the municipality of Cocody, to head towards the headquarters of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI). The party calls for a strong peaceful mobilization in order to convey a clear message: demand inclusive, transparent and peaceful elections.
The removal of Tidjane Thiam and other opposition figures is mainly based on the issue of dual nationality, a legal provision that continues to be debated as the election approaches. The PDCI, which sees in Thiam a rally candidate capable of unifying the Ivorians, intends to make this march a highlight of its campaign and its democratic fight.
Photo credit: Tidiane Thiam page
The list of presidential candidates in Côte d’Ivoire is expanding on Saturday, May 31, 2025. After the withdrawal of Tidjane Thiam, another candidate comes to replace him. The latter had submitted his application in 2020 but it was invalidated. Indeed, in his announcement of candidacy, the latter has emphasized the valorization of cultural and spiritual values of the country.
The presidential election in Côte d’Ivoire promises to be exciting. Some candidates have been withdrawn and others are being added to the list of candidates. Additions for a common purpose sitting in the chair. An objective that arouses the interest of Olivier Djè Bi Djè, who has submitted his candidacy. Thus, the deputy of the city of Zuénoula announced his candidacy for the presidential election of 25 October 2025 on 31 May 2025.
An application that was invalidated five years ago (2020) due to sponsorship non-compliance. However, this candidacy could be valid because the politician has well prepared his mount before launching. However, there is still some way to go. Indeed, to be sure, the member for Zuénoula of Côte d’Ivoire has an obligation to respect the electoral code by bringing together at least sponsorship in 17 independent regions.
Olivier Djè Bi Djè, in his candidacy announcement speech, unveiled his management plan once at the presidency headquarters. As the Ivorian politician is a manager, he opts for common management with a future of social justice, without forgetting peace and sustainable development.
He gave a pledge on leadership based on the identity of the country. It also intends to place cultural and spiritual values high on the agenda with traditional leaders. Finally, the new candidate calls for unity in order to address the country’s challenges as quickly as possible. He also counts on the population for a victory.
Source: africa-sur7 / Credit photo: afrique-sur7
IVORY COAST
IVORY COAST – Dominique Ouattara receives cultural actors and the UNAIDS Country Director
On Thursday, May 15, 2025, in the high-class district of Cocody in Abidjan, the first lady of Côte d’Ivoire, Dominique Ouattara, granted a series of hearings to two prominent cultural actors: the artist Dadju and Affou Keïta, as well as to Henk Van Renterghem, UNAIDS Country Director in Côte d’Ivoire These meetings were part of courtesy visits, cultural invitations and discussions on health issues related to the fight against HIV/AIDS.
First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire Dominique Ouattara received the artists and the UNAIDS representative in an official, no less convivial setting. She exchanged views with the two on cultural issues and with the other on the progress made by Côte d’Ivoire in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
French-Congolese artist Dadju Djuna Nsungula, better known as Dadju, came to express his gratitude to the First Lady. The Commission congratulated him on his exceptional career and the positive impact he has had on African youth. She then received the Ivorian singer Affou Keïta, who came to personally give her an official invitation to her live concert “Reconnaissance à l’effort de Paix”, scheduled for 30 May 2025 at the Palais de la Culture in Abidjan. This concert aims to promote peace and living together.
Henk Van Renterghem, UNAIDS Country Director in Côte d’Ivoire, came to provide an update on the progress of the fight against HIV/AIDS in the country. He shared updated data with the First Lady and discussed the challenges of declining international funding, including from the U.S. PEPFAR program. “We have come to give an update as it is said in English to the First Lady of the progress and important progress that the country has registered in the fight against AIDS with a view to achieving the target of eliminating this pandemic by 2030. I shared important figures on the progress made by Côte d’Ivoire,” said Mr Henk Van Renterghem.
For many years, Dominique Ouattara has been involved in the promotion of culture in Côte d’Ivoire. Ambassador for HIV/AIDS, the First Lady expressed her unwavering support for UNAIDS. She also renewed her commitment to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
