The African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have jointly commended Côte d’Ivoire for conducting a peaceful and transparent presidential election, following the re-election of President Alassane Ouattara for a fourth term in office.
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, congratulated President Ouattara and praised the Ivorian people for their “civic spirit and participation” in the October 25 vote. He also lauded national institutions for their role in ensuring the smooth conduct of the polls.
Mr. Youssouf urged all political and social actors to continue promoting peace, dialogue, and national cohesion, reaffirming the AU’s readiness to support Côte d’Ivoire’s ongoing efforts toward democratic governance, stability, and sustainable development.
Similarly, ECOWAS, in a statement issued from Abuja on November 2, applauded Ivorians for demonstrating “maturity, patriotism, and respect for democratic principles” during the elections, describing the outcome as a reflection of the strength of the country’s republican institutions.
According to provisional figures released by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), President Ouattara secured 89.77% of the vote, a decisive first-round victory, out of 4.29 million ballots cast from 8.7 million registered voters, representing a 50.1% turnout.
His closest challenger, Jean-Louis Billon, garnered 3.09%, followed by Simone Ehivet Gbagbo with 2.42%, Ahoua Don Mello with 1.97%, and Henriette Lagou with 1.15%.
ECOWAS urged all candidates and political parties to respect the legal process and channel any grievances through constitutional mechanisms as the Constitutional Council finalizes the certification of results.
Both the AU and ECOWAS emphasized the need for continued national unity, encouraging Ivorian stakeholders to build on the stability achieved during the electoral period to further strengthen democratic consolidation in the country.
