Ivorian presidential election: the ACHPR orders the re-registration of Soro on the electoral list

Guillaume Soro, February 8, 2019 in Abidjan.

Sia KAMBOO / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

4 min

46 days before the presidential election in Côte d'Ivoire, the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) asked Abidjan to "suspend the execution" of the sentence of Guillaume Soro, and to restore it. on the voters list.

The president of the GPS party, exiled in France for several months, saw his candidacy invalidated Monday evening by the Constitutional Council.

Invalidation due to his removal from the electoral list due to a conviction.

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With our correspondent in Abidjan,

It all started on March 2, 2020, Guillaume Soro seized the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, based in Arusha, on his case and that of his 19 companions imprisoned in Côte d'Ivoire.

On April 22, the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights then asked Côte d'Ivoire to temporarily suspend the arrest warrant against

and to release his 19 imprisoned companions.

This decision is provisional until their case is examined on the merits by this same court.

But the decision was never implemented by Côte d'Ivoire.

On April 28, the Ivorian justice even condemned Guillaume Soro for concealment of embezzlement of public funds to

and the deprivation of his civil and political rights.

This leads to the removal of Guillaume Soro from the electoral lists.

This radiation is also the reason for the invalidation of his candidacy by the Constitutional Council on Monday, September 14.

Dead letter ...

This Tuesday, September 15, a new order, still provisional, is issued by the African Court.

It orders Côte d'Ivoire to suspend this sentence and " 

 ".

Clearly, to re-register him on the electoral list and allow him to be a candidate.

Like the ordinance of April 22, this could once again remain a dead letter.

On the day of Soro's conviction, Côte d'Ivoire formally decided to no longer recognize the jurisdiction of the African Court.

And a sign of the interest the Ivorian State has in the Court, its lawyers have not made any observation or conclusion in this procedure.

It must be said that on April 28, the day of Soro's conviction, Côte d'Ivoire formally decided to no longer recognize the jurisdiction of the African Court, accusing it of undermining its sovereignty.

When the judges are not corrupt like those in my country, they say the law and give it back its nobility.

The judges of the African Court have ruled.

Therefore I reaffirm my candidacy for the presidential election of October 2020 in my country.

Read 👇🏿👇🏿 pic.twitter.com/P4RuLXeEAt

  Guillaume K. Soro (@SOROKGUILLAUME) September 15, 2020

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• Ivory Coast

• Guillaume Soro

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