Ivory Coast: chronicle of an announced crisis

Audio 19:30

Demonstrators in the streets of Abidjan, September 26, 2020, protesting the candidacy for a third term of outgoing President Alassane Ouattara.

SIA KAMBOO / AFP

By: Pierre Pinto Follow

21 min

Since Alassane Ouattara, 78, announced in early August 2020 her candidacy for the October 31 presidential election in Côte d'Ivoire, the political climate has become considerably tense.

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Several dozen people have died in political violence which often takes on a communal character.

And dozens more have been arrested.


Far from debates of ideas or confrontations of program, the singular electoral campaign which ends only revolved around the person of the outgoing president, and the legality or the illegality of his candidacy.

A question that united the opposition against him.

How did 7 months after the announcement of its withdrawal come to this?

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  • Ivory Coast

  • Alassane Ouattara

  • Ivory Coast Politics

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