The marketing campaign begins in Ivory Coast on Thursday for the October 31 presidential election, with incumbent Alassane Ouattara in search of a controversial third time period whereas the opposition pushes for civil disobedience amid violent demonstrations. Many observers concern a disaster earlier than or after the election…

Thousands of opposition supporters gathered in Côte d'Ivoire's commercial capital on Saturday to protest President Alassane Ouattara's plan to seek a third term in the October 31 presidential election. By early afternoon, about 20,000 people had packed a stadium with 35,000 capacities in Abidjan, singing and dancing. Some held…

It is the start of the cocoa season in Côte d'Ivoire, and it is characterized by an increase in the price paid to the producer of more than 20% compared to last year. An economic boost a few days before the presidential election in a very uncertain context for the cocoa sector. The cocoa farmers expected and hoped strongly for…

In Côte d'Ivoire, the BJKD Foundation (Bénédicte Janine Kacou Diagou) has just arranged the 3rd edition of its Young Entrepreneurship Award. The winners were announced during a ceremony held in Abidjan on 19 September. In the choice of projects, the BJKD award emphasizes gender parity. And the podium for the 2020 vintage was dominated by women.…

In addition to the Covid-19 pandemic, which is strongly affecting the world economy and the Ivorian economy, there is a risk of socio-political unrest associated with the October 31 presidential election. Many observers fear that the country's economy will pick up after good years of growth and development. Following the 2010-2011 election crisis, Côte d'Ivoire's GDP had lost 4 points. In late…

Ivory Coast Constitutional Court ruled last week that only four out of 44 presidential hopefuls would be allowed to run in the country's presidential election. Because they face criminal convictions, former President Laurent Gbagbo and former rebel leader Guillaume Soro, both giants of Ivorian politics, were among those prevented from running. Most of the others whose candidates were deemed invalid had failed to garner sufficient public support - a new electoral reform required candidates to request signatures from at…

Ivory Coast's head of state, Alassane Ouattara, has blown up two rivals' attempt to challenge next month's presidential election as "provocation", saying one of them is behind bars. In an interview published Thursday by the French magazine Paris Match, the 78-year-old sitting fired a verbal breadth against former President Laurent Gbagbo and former rebel leader Guillaume Soro. Both men live outside the country, but retain strong support at home, in a country still scarred by a post-election conflict that claimed more…