In Côte d’Ivoire, less than four weeks before the presidential election, the joint mission of ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations ends its stay. Before leaving the country, she took stock of her visit to Abidjan.
From our correspondent in Abidjan
After his stay in Abidjan, the common mission for ECOWAS, The African Union and the UN share one concern: the lack of trust between political actors. This is the main point made by the press release read by General Francis Behanzin, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security of ECOWAS, together with the UN Special Representative, Mohamed Chambas.
When they took stock, the envoys wanted first and foremost to remember their residency program, namely the meeting with President Alassane Ouattara as well as members of the government and the chairmen of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) and of the Constitutional Council. Members of ECOWAS, AU and the UN present in Côte d’Ivoire also met with opposition parties, civil society and youth and women’s associations.
Avoid a crisis after the election
While the mission welcomes the commitment of political actors to promote a credible, transparent and peaceful election, it deeply regrets the lack of trust between the same actors. The CEI and the Constitutional Council remain the target of opponents who simply demand their reform. The FPI candidate, for example Pascal Affi N’Guessan, is calling for the vote to be postponed.
The mission also condemned the acts of violence in recent weeks and hate speech with ethnic and societal overtones. Above all, she calls for dialogue to be preferred and asks the authorities to secure the vote and ensure the protection of candidates and activists in order to avoid a return to a crisis following the vote on 31 October.
