By Semafor Africa
Photos: YouTube Screenshots
Ivorians are preparing to vote in presidential elections on Saturday amid rising tensions over the exclusion of opposition candidates and a government crackdown on dissent that has led to the arrest of more than 200 protesters this month.
President Alassane Ouattara, 83, is the favorite to win a fourth term, but will have to fend off challenges from four other candidates including Simone Ggbagbo, the ex-wife of former President Laurent Ggbagbo who was barred from running in the polls.
The vote comes months after leading opposition figure Tidjane Thiam, the former CEO of Credit Suisse, was disqualified over his dual citizenship with France.
Côte d’Ivoire, Francophone West Africa’s biggest economy and the world’s top cocoa producer, saw economic growth of 6% in 2024: It is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, according to the IMF, and is projected to grow more than 6% this year and next.
Read on for what analysts are saying about the Côte d’Ivoire election. →
