Source : Sahel weather

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The Ivorian political scene is marked by the fratricidal duel between Tidjane Thiam, the new strongman of the Parti Démocratique de Côte d'Ivoire (PDCI) and his "enemy brother" Jean-Louis Billon. A duel that promises to be fierce, given that the businessman and former Minister of Trade is increasingly distancing himself from his "boss", the President's designated heir. This situation appears to be a closed parenthesis of the Ivoirité that sowed chaos in the country during the Gbagbo-Ouattara era. Meanwhile, former president Laurent Gbagbo has already launched his campaign for the upcoming presidential elections. Indeed, on June 29 in Bonoua, the party's General Secretary met with the party's organizing committee to prepare for their leader's first outing after his investiture with great fanfare.

What about Simone Gbagbo, former First Lady of Côte d'Ivoire? She seems keen to get involved in the presidential campaign, if we are to believe her statement that she will be a candidate if her party so wishes. It should be remembered that the presidential couple are currently undergoing divorce proceedings in court, and this situation will certainly have consequences for the forthcoming elections. Alongside Charles Blé Goudé, the former First Lady has recently been holding a series of meetings with opposition parties, with the aim of creating an alliance capable of defeating the Rassemblement des Houphouëtistes pour la Démocratie et la Paix (RHDP). As for Alassane Ouattara, he is still keeping his candidacy under wraps.

In any case, the Ivorians seem to be turning away from their traditional partners in the fight against terrorism. Indeed, President ADO has stated that he wants to obtain war logistics, including combat aircraft, from the Chinese. The vice-president of the state-owned China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation recently travelled to Côte d'Ivoire to finalize the contract.

In June, Côte d'Ivoire suffered enormous material and human damage as a result of heavy rains between the 13th and 22nd of the month. The national civil protection office reported 24 deaths and "flooding of roads, dwellings and the risk of buildings collapsing".