Ivorian security services have launched a large-scale simulation exercise designed to test the country’s preparedness for the December 2025 legislative elections.
The exercise served as the official introduction of Operation “Citizen Dome”, a nationwide security deployment intended to safeguard the electoral process from 14 December 2025 to 4 January 2026.
According to Armed Forces spokesperson Colonel Séraphin Blé, the operation will mobilise 44,000 personnel, including units from the national police, gendarmerie and the armed forces.
Of these, 23,670 officers will be assigned exclusively to election-day duties across 11,835 polling stations, ensuring at least one two-person security team at every location.
Colonel Blé said the deployment integrates the full chain of command, mobile field units and logistical support teams, creating a coordinated framework capable of responding effectively to incidents nationwide.
He added that the simulation exercise, which has been under way since 23 November in Bonoua and Grand-Bassam, aims to re-evaluate operational strategies used during the October 2025 presidential election operation known as “Espérance”, and to strengthen coordination among all security actors.
Following the demonstration, Lieutenant General Doumbia issued final directives for the execution of Operation “Citizen Dome” and formally placed the mission in the hands of regional and operational commanders through their representatives.
