Ivory Coast Leader Ouattara Begins Fourth Term Amid Controversy

Yamoussoukro: Ivory Coast's incumbent President Alassane Ouattara was sworn in on Monday for a fourth term after securing over 89% of the vote in an October election characterized by low turnout and unrest. Ouattara emphasized the election as a choice for stability, peace, and development, despite the exclusion of main opposition figures from the election process. According to Nam News Network, the election period was marred by violence, resulting in the death of at least 11 people and the arrest of over 1,650 individuals, as reported by official figures. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg remarked the day before the inauguration that the U.S. does not dictate how nations should be run, expressing confidence in Ivory Coast's political stability and rapid growth. The inauguration ceremony in the West African nation saw the attendance of eleven African presidents. Ouattara, who first came to power after a contentious election in 2010 against Laurent Gbagbo, had previously ove rseen a constitutional amendment in 2016. He argued that the amended constitution reset his term count, a claim that his opponents have contested.