Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has deployed a long-term election observation mission to Côte d’Ivoire ahead of the country’s presidential elections scheduled for October 25, in a move aimed at promoting transparency and preventing a recurrence of post-electoral unrest.
The 15-member mission, which arrived in Abidjan on October 2, will remain in the country until October 29, four days after polling day, the ECOWAS Commission said in a statement.
The observers are tasked with monitoring the political environment, legal framework, campaign activities, voter registration, media coverage, and the work of electoral institutions.
According to ECOWAS, the deployment was approved by Commission President Dr. Omar Alieu Touray and is anchored in the 1993 Revised Treaty, the 1999 Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security, and the 2001 Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. The mission will submit periodic assessments to the ECOWAS Commission and make recommendations to strengthen electoral credibility in the region.
“This deployment demonstrates ECOWAS’s continued commitment to supporting member states in organizing peaceful, credible, and inclusive elections,” the Commission said.
Côte d’Ivoire heads to the polls in a tense political climate. President Alassane Ouattara, in power since 2011, is seeking re-election amid challenges from several opposition figures, including former First Lady Simone Gbagbo and former Prime Minister Guillaume Soro.
While Ouattara’s government has been praised for maintaining relative stability and economic growth, critics accuse it of using state institutions to suppress dissent and bar rivals from contesting. The last major electoral crisis in 2010-2011 left more than 3,000 people dead after then-President Laurent Gbagbo refused to concede defeat to Ouattara.
ECOWAS, the 15-member regional bloc, has played a leading role in promoting democracy and stability across West Africa but faces increasing challenges amid a wave of military takeovers in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Guinea. Observers say the bloc is eager to reinforce its credibility through peaceful civilian elections in member states such as Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Ghana.
The ECOWAS mission in Côte d’Ivoire forms part of a broader electoral observation framework that includes long-term and short-term monitors, data analysts, and political experts who will liaise with the country’s Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) and civil society organizations. A short-term mission, expected to include high-level dignitaries and former heads of state, will be deployed closer to election day.
Political analysts say ECOWAS’s early presence could help deter violence and build confidence in the process, but only if its findings are taken seriously. “Observers are not miracle workers,” said a regional governance expert in Abidjan. “Their reports must be acted on by both the government and opposition to prevent disputes.”
Côte d’Ivoire remains one of West Africa’s largest economies and a key cocoa exporter, but the memory of past election violence still lingers. Both domestic and international observers have urged the authorities to ensure an even playing field and avoid political exclusions that could trigger unrest.
ECOWAS said it will continue to engage with Ivorian stakeholders throughout the electoral period and reaffirmed its commitment to peace, democracy, and stability in the region.
By Fred Kandeh
