IVORY COAST
IVORY COAST – Guillaume Soro increasingly isolated
In politics, alliances are constantly being made and broken. Politicians, once irreducible partners, often turn into sworn enemies. This is the case of relations between the former President of the National Assembly of Côte d’Ivoire, Guillaume Soro, and the Ivorian President, Alassane Ouattara. It was unimaginable that these two personalities, fierce opponents of Laurent Gbagbo during the Ivorian rebellion of 2002, come to look at each other like earthenware dogs. Today, unlike Laurent Gbagbo and Blé Goudé, acquitted and exonerated following their trial in The Hague, Guillaume Soro still lives in exile. Icing on the cake, a life sentence in a trial held in Abidjan, awaits him in his country. While his former political opponents in Laurent Gbagbo’s camp are quietly going about their business, Guillaume Soro is increasingly isolated.
When he resigned from his position as President of the National Assembly of Côte d’Ivoire on 08 February 2019, the rift between him and his former allies of the Houphouetist Assembly for Democracy and Peace (HRPD) became irremediable. After his missed return to Félix Houphouët Boigny airport in December 2019 from a tour of Europe, a painful exile began for Guillaume Soro and several of his collaborators including former minister Affoussiata Bamba Lamine.
In Abidjan, several of his relatives were arrested after this failed return. Some Soroïstes even changed political camp. Soro Kanigui, president of the former Raci, former movement close to Soro Guillaume, put on the almost new clothes of Houphouetisme. There is no shortage of words to vilify his former political ally. ” Who is this politician who wants to lead our beautiful Ivory Coast, presenting himself as an alternative, without ever presenting major axes of public policy or societal program? Every time he goes out, if he doesn’t get rough with his elders, accusing them of unjustly removing appetizing pieces of lamb from his mouth or stools and comfortable beds obtained through the great generosity of opponents whom he claimed to be fighting, It is the departures of former collaborators that he incriminates by suspecting them of wanting to finish the remains of his plates that arouse his nostalgia ”, Soro Kanigui said recently of his former comrade of struggle. Other influential members of the ‘sorosphere’ such as Alain Lobognon, Soro Alphonse, Victorian Sekongo have left the house. Devotees like Souleymane Kamaraté called Soul to Soul and Mamadou Traoré are still in prison. Guillaume Soro himself, is sentenced to life in Côte d’Ivoire. That’s the extent of his troubles in his country. For the moment, there is no hope of reconciliation between Guillaume Soro and the power of Abidjan. Ironically, it was the PPA-CI, the new party led by Laurent Gbagbo, that called for Soro Guillaume’s return to his country to the Ivorian authorities in a statement. The wheel has really turned!
For his part, Soro remains determined to continue his fight despite all the pitfalls on his way. ” Nothing happens to man but what God allows ”, he likes to say.
During a meeting of the GPS Steering and Coordination Commission, his new political movement, Guillaume Soro attacked his former comrades who joined the opposing camp. Many of us, whose faith was faltering and whose conviction depended on the size of our plate, preferred to jump off the ship,” he said on 18 June.
Thiéni Gbanani, as his supporters call him, therefore does not intend to give up the fight. The positions are firm and clear-cut. Guillaume Soro is alone in front of his former comrades!
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.
