Ivorian presidential election: the concerns of the French community
View of the city of Abidjan, the Ébrié lagoon and the Plateau from St-Paul's cathedral.
© Craig Pershouse / Getty Images
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
The Democratic Association of French Abroad (ADFE), also known as French of the World, which for 40 years has brought together French people living outside France, held its general assembly in Abidjan.
20 to 25,000 French people live in Côte d'Ivoire.
On the eve of the presidential election, many are expressing concerns about the risks of socio-political unrest, while some are already heavily penalized by the economic consequences of the health crisis.
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With our correspondent in Abidjan,
François Hume-Ferkatadji
Jackie Bertho has been living in Côte d'Ivoire for 40 years.
The president of the French association of the world notes the concern of the French community with regard to the renewed political tensions.
“
We do hear the worried French,
” she confirms.
They are worried because we have already experienced the events of 2000, 2003-2004, the events of 2010-2011, that they do not want to lose their property and also their turnover.
"
For Franck Emmanuel Calderat, manager of two restaurants in Abidjan, a political crisis would worsen an already very difficult situation due to the anti-Covid measures which have severely affected the restaurant sector.
But beyond his business, he shares the fears of Ivorians for the future of the country: "
When we hear the staff, when we hear the people in the street, when we hear the people around us in the markets, everything the world is very worried about this situation.
I ask everyone, each other, to put a little water in their wine and find a solution to save this country.
"
"
No more worries about Guinea or Mali
"
Invited to this general assembly, the French senator Jean-Yves Leconte (PS, senator representing the French outside France) hears these concerns, but wishes to reassure: “
We must watch.
It is true that when we compare to the situation in Guinea on the one hand or in Mali on the other, we say to ourselves that for the moment there are other places where we have good reasons to be a lot. more worried.
"
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To read also: Presidential in Côte d'Ivoire: the PDCI officially invests Henri Konan Bédié
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