Africa Europe Ivory Coast West Africa World 

Surge in trafficking of Ivorian women, girls to Europe

The International Organization for Migration has said that a high number of women and girls from Ivory Coast are being trafficked to Northern Africa and Europe. In a note to mark European Anti-Trafficking Day the IOM said there was an emerging trend of a rise in the number of women and girls crossing the Mediterranean. It said some of the… Read More
Africa Featured Ivory Coast West Africa World 

ICC prosecutor appeals Laurent Gbagbo’s release

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda on Monday appealed the acquittal of former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo. Gbagbo’s freedom was granted by judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) early this year. He now stays in Belgium following his acquittal by the Court. That acquittal at the time was to be appealed by the prosecutors… Read More
Africa Ivory Coast West Africa World 

Video: Why fans opened DJ Arafat’s coffin and undressed him

On Saturday some fans of late Ivorian musician DJ Arafat reportedly opened his coffin and undressed him. It followed a chaotic incident at his funeral, after many had gathered to pay tribute. A video of the incident on social media showed these fans carrying out the act during an unrest at the artist’s funeral in the Ivory Coast city of… Read More
Africa Ivory Coast West Africa World 

Ivorian Musician DJ Arafat dies in road crash

Ivorian musician DJ Arafat has died following a road accident in Ivory Coast’s main city, Abidjan. The 33-year-old has a huge following in the Francophone region. He had referred to himself as the king of the dance music genre coupé-décalé. His biggest hit song had over five million views on YouTube. DJ Arafat’s real name is Houon Ange Didier. The… Read More
Africa Business Ghana Ivory Coast World 

Why Ghana wants to raise cocoa farmers’ prices by 5.2%

Ghanaian officials have signaled their intentions to raise cocoa farmgate prices by 5.2% for the 2019/20 season. According Reuters sources at Ghana’s agency coordinating the sector, Cocobod and its marketing arm Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC) this will be the first increase in four years. The farmgate price will rise to $1,523.81 (8,000 Ghanaian cedis) per tonne in the next season… Read More
Ghabo Ivory Coast West Africa 

ICC judges ordered to review freeing I.Coast ex-leader Gbagbo

The Hague  – Judges must review whether to release the ageing former Ivory Coast leader Laurent Gbagbo for the rest of his crimes against humanity trial, an appeals court ruled Wednesday. Gbagbo, the first ex-head of state to be tried by the International Criminal Court, won his appeal against a March decision which ordered him to be held in a… Read More
President Alassane Ouattara Ivory Coast West Africa 

Côte d’Ivoire: Authorities must stop arbitrary arrests and ‘mobile detention’ of opposition supporters ahead of referendum

Authorities in Côte d’Ivoire must stop targeting opposition members by curtailing their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, Amnesty International said ahead of Sunday’s referendum on constitutional changes. On 20 October, at least 50 opposition members were arbitrarily arrested at a peaceful protest and detained for hours in moving police vehicles. Some of them were dropped in several… Read More

Sierra Leone: Ebola regulations and other laws must not be used to curtail freedom of expression and assembly

Sierra Leone should stop using emergency regulations brought in to combat Ebola as a pretext to restrict freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, Amnesty International said today. “Now that Ebola cases are reducing and schools have re-opened, the government should immediately review the State of Emergency provisions and ensure that only provisions strictly required to fight the Ebola epidemic remain... Read More

Former Ivorian Officials Arrested in Ivory Coast, Ghana

Two high-ranking officials close to the former president of Ivory Coast have been arrested. Ivorian officials say Laurent Akoun, the second-ranking official in former president Laurent Gbagbo's Front Populaire Ivorien party, was arrested Sunday in Adzope, 100 kilometers east of the capital, Abidjan.  He is believed to be implicated in a series of recent attacks on government targets, aimed at destabilizing... Read More