In his New Year’s address, former Ivorian Prime Minister Guillaume Soro delivered a forceful message to his compatriots, offering a scathing indictment of the current government following the 2025 elections.
Speaking from exile, Soro described the past year as a period of deep political, social, and moral division for Côte d’Ivoire. He criticized the current administration’s management style, which he characterized as being based on exclusion rather than reconciliation.
A major portion of Soro’s address focused on the 2025 electoral cycle. He argued that the presidential election in October and the legislative elections in December were organized without consensus or fairness, ultimately shattering the trust between the citizens and the state. By highlighting high abstention rates and post-election repression, the former Speaker of the National Assembly asserted that elections in the country have unfortunately become a factor of lasting instability rather than a democratic tool.
Soro also expressed his solidarity with those he described as political prisoners, exiles, and victims of violence. He denounced a governance style that uses force to silence dissent, insisting that there is no justification for imprisoning opponents to stifle their voices. Despite a bleak economic outlook marked by a rising cost of living and high youth unemployment, he remained optimistic about the future, citing the dignity and resilience of the Ivorian people as a reason for hope.
Looking ahead, Soro emphasized that 2026 must serve as a major turning point for the nation. He issued a direct appeal to the Ivorian opposition, stating that they no longer have the luxury of being fragmented or engaging in ego-driven clashes. He urged opposition leaders to move past short-sighted calculations and instead form an organized union with a clear project to offer a genuine democratic alternative to the current leadership.
Addressing his movement, Generations and Peoples in Solidarity (GPS), which remains dissolved by the courts, Soro reaffirmed the necessity of their struggle despite ongoing hardships. He called on Ivorian youth to protect their future from being confiscated and paid tribute to the courage of women as the pillars of society. He concluded his message by reiterating his belief that a regime founded on injustice cannot prevail over a united people, wishing for a year marked by courage and dignity.
AP/fss/abj/APA