Spotlight | Ivory Coast
Ouattara mulls replacing prime minister in reshuffle

Ivory Coast
Alassane Ouattara's team buys up football clubs, hoping to score goals... and votes

With the presidential election in mind, a handful of ruling party heads are buying up clubs in the Ivorian league. Among them are several ministers and even the president's brother.

Ivory Coast
Businessman Tommy Tayoro Nyckoss's football offensive

The Ivorian businessman and son-in-law of Ismaïl Omar Guelleh failed to buy the historic football club Africa Sports d'Abidjan and instead got hold of Sporting Club de Gagnoa.

Palace Intrigues
Denis Sassou-Nguesso, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, Alassane Ouattara, Patrice Talon, Faustin-Archange Touadéra

Intrigues big and small – every Thursday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.

Congo Sassou puts finishing touches on Congo Basin summit preparations

Ivory Coast Ouattara thinks twice about naming bridge after Gbagbo

Benin President's son Lionel Talon seeks to bring NBA to Cotonou

CAR Pro-Russian sports minister invited to Paris Olympics

Ivory Coast
Troubling times for speaker of parliament Adama Bictogo

In recent months, several companies founded by the businessman and politician have been subject to tax audits or have lost contracts.

Ivory Coast
Government in stand-off with private digital TV channels

To protest the fact that they do not receive any state aid, three TV stations - NCI, Life TV and 7info - are refusing to pay the estimated 300m CFA francs they owe in annual broadcasting rights and other fees.

Ivory Coast
Macron's brand-new Africa envoy due to meet Ouattara

Emmanuel Macron's new 'personal envoy' for Africa, former minister Jean-Marie Bockel, will be in Abidjan on 20-21 February to discuss the ongoing reorganisation of France's military presence on the continent.

Ivory Coast
Ouattara won't play ball over rising CAN 2023 costs

Ivory Coast's PM has rejected a new call for additional funding from the Organising Committee of the African Cup of Nations. This decision comes as President Ouattara is privately annoyed by the football tournament's considerable cost overruns.

Palace Intrigues
Alassane Ouattara, Denis Sassou-Nguesso, Lula, Mahamadou Issoufou, Florence Parly

Intrigues big and small: every Tuesday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.

Ivory CoastPatrick Achi's final tête-à-tête with Alassane Ouattara?

CongoBrazilian president Lula unable to attend Sassou's environmental summit

NigerMahamadou Issoufou, an uncomfortable presence on International Crisis Group's board of trustees

BeninFrance's ex-armed forces minister visits Cotonou

Palace Intrigues
Denis Sassou-Nguesso, Alassane Ouattara, Félix Tshisekedi, Vincent de Paul Massassa

Intrigues big and small: every Tuesday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.

Congo Influential Julienne Johnson becomes an official adviser to her father

Ivory Coast Ouattara's former special adviser Serey-Eiffel back in Abidjan

DRC Tshisekedi's favourite luxury hotels in the Big Apple

Gabon Vincent de Paul Massassa makes a final, quick trip to oil ministry

Ivory Coast
Vice President Tiémoko Meyliet Koné set to attend UN General Assembly

Vice President Tiemoko Meyliet Koné will represent Alassane Ouattara at the next UN General Assembly in New York in late September.

Gabon, Ivory Coast
Gabonese presidential campaign strains Abidjan-Libreville relations

An audio recording, purportedly of a discussion between Gabonese opposition politicians Albert Ondo Ossa and Alexandre Barro-Chambrier, led to Libreville's foreign minister asking the Ivorian ambassador to explain himself.

Ivory Coast
Ouattara mandates Standard Chartered to raise €813m

Ivory Coast plans to raise more than €800m in syndicated debt at a time when the country's public finances are in difficulty and the government is struggling to pay its domestic debt.

Ivory Coast
Ouattara makes key new appointments at his embassy in Paris

Following his appointment of a new consul general at the French embassy in Paris in February, Alassane Ouattara has promoted one of his generals as head of the military mission there.