Guillaume Soro does not intend to be prevented from being a candidate for the Ivorian presidential election on October 31. The Ivorian opponent said on Tuesday (January 28th) that he maintained his candidacy despite the arrest warrant issued against him by the Ivorian justice system.

Former rebel leader and ex-prime minister, suspected of wishing to commit a coup, is the subject of an arrest warrant issued on Christmas Eve as he was about to return to the Côte d 'Ivory. He is liable to life imprisonment.

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"I am a candidate in the presidential election in my country, Côte d'Ivoire, on October 31. I want to tell you, I definitely remain so. Those who prevented me from setting foot in my country on December 23 the latter will never prevent me, "he said during a press conference in Paris, adding that he would not give in" to this blackmail ".

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Guillaume Soro had tried on December 23 to return to Côte d'Ivoire, after six months abroad. But he flew back to Europe after learning that he was the subject of an arrest warrant. Several of his relatives, including members of parliament, were later arrested. He dismisses the charges against him.

The former prime minister called the arrest warrant Tuesday "fanciful, illegal and purely opportunistic" and assured that he "would not give in to blackmail."

"This cabal will not divert history from its inevitable course," he hammered, assuring: "the Ivorians want change, it is incontestable".

Long ally with President Alassane Ouattara, whom he helped bring to power during the post-electoral crisis of 2010-2011, Guillaume Soro then fell out with him, until the breakup in early 2019.

Ten years after the 2010-2011 crisis which left 3,000 dead, the election promises to be tense. The 2018 municipal and regional elections were marked by numerous violence and fraud.

With Reuters and AFP

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