President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire has appointed five new members in his cabinet and dismissed Albert Toikeusse Mabri as Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister.
Ouattara on Wednesday, signed several decrees slightly tweaking his government, according to a press release by Patrick Achi, the Minister and Permanent Secretary of the Presidency of the Republic.
The new faces in the Ivorian cabinet are Albert Flinde as Minister of African Integration and Ivorians living Abroad, Adama Diawara as Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Roger Adom as Minister for the Modernization of the Administration and Public Service Innovation.
Mr. Ouattara also appointed as ministers autonomous district governors.
They include Robert Beugre Mambe as Minister governor of the Abidjan district and Augustin Abdoulaye Thiam Houphouet as Minister governor of the autonomous district of Yamoussoukro.
As for the ministers Ally Coulibaly (ex-Minister of Ivorians Living Overseas), Philippe Legre (ex-Secretary of State for Maritime Affairs) and Raymonde Goudou Coffie (ex-Minister for the modernization of the administration), they were appointed respectively, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Minister responsible for Maritime Affairs and Minister of Culture and the Francophonie.
This slight reshuffle of the Ivorian government comes five months before the presidential election next October and against the backdrop of a tense political climate.
LB/ls/fss/as/APA