🇨🇮Côte d'IvoireWest Africa
Amadou Coulibaly urges artists to promote African culture at MASA 2026
via Abidjan.net9 min read
Amadou Coulibaly, Minister of Communication and government spokesperson, visited the Abidjan Arts and Spectacle Market MASA on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, and encouraged artists to promote African culture. The event, which officially opened on Saturday, April 12, 2026, at the Treichville Culture Palace, saw Coulibaly tour various stands, including the International Audiovisual Content Exhibition SICA. Accompanied by Françoise Remarck, the Minister of Culture and Francophonie, Coulibaly met with art critics and emphasized the importance of young Africans telling their own stories. He stated that the continent has much to offer and that Africans must narrate their history through their own content. Coulibaly also highlighted the role of art critics in this endeavor and urged them to focus on promoting African culture, asserting that if Africans do not value their own works, no one else will. He noted that this vision aligns with the SICA, whose fourth edition is scheduled for November. Françoise Remarck praised Coulibaly's efforts in the success of the 14th edition of MASA, recalling that President Alassane Ouattara initiated the event in 1993 when he was Prime Minister. She encouraged new art critics to use MASA as a platform to showcase their talent and help Côte d'Ivoire shine. The ministers also visited the "innovation village" and appeared on MASA TV. The first cohort of art criticism training for MASA's 14th edition selected 15 candidates from 276 applicants, with the best c
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Abidjan.net.
Must ReadThe Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace RHDP has welcomed the Ivorian government's decision to dissolve the Independent Electoral Commission CEI, announced after the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. In a statement signed by its Executive Secretary, Ibrahima Cissé Bacongo, on May 8, the ruling party acknowledged the decision, noting that the CEI had organized and supervised various elections in Côte d'Ivoire for the past twenty-five years. Despite its efforts, the electoral body had consistently faced criticism from political actors and civil society organizations. The RHDP expressed satisfaction that the government addressed these concerns by dissolving the institution. The party reaffirmed its full support for President Alassane Ouattara, stating that he continues to demonstrate his responsiveness to citizens' needs for a peaceful, prosperous, and united Côte d'Ivoire. The RHDP urged political actors and civil society organizations to fully engage in preserving peace and trust to establish a new electoral management mechanism that ensures calm elections in Côte d'Ivoire.
Must ReadThe Central Bank of West African States BCEAO hosted an international conference in Dakar on May 8, 2026, focusing on the opportunities and challenges presented by crypto-assets and digital innovations for monetary and financial stability. This event follows similar conferences in 2024 and 2025 on climate change and artificial intelligence, respectively. The conference aims to analyze the implications of these digital advancements and establish appropriate regulatory frameworks. Jean Claude Kassi Brou, Governor of the BCEAO, highlighted that crypto-assets, digital payment platforms, and the increasing digitalization of financial services are reshaping financial intermediation and challenging traditional regulatory and supervisory frameworks. He emphasized that while these tools are powerful drivers of modernization, they also introduce risks and vulnerabilities, calling for rigorous international dialogue on emerging digital finance issues. The BCEAO has initiated structural actions to support this transformation. Cheikh Diba, the Senegalese Minister of Finance and Budget, noted that these innovations offer unprecedented opportunities but also demand increased collective responsibility to address complex challenges related to regulation, security, and stability. He identified key risks such as the growth of shadow banking, excessive volatility in crypto-asset markets, fraud, money laundering, terrorist financing, cyberattacks, and operational vulnerabilities. Diba expressed o
Must ReadThis article features an excerpt from the speech delivered by former President Laurent Gbagbo during the Central Committee meeting on May 7, 2026. The speech was published on Friday, May 8, 2026, by Autre Presse TV. The article is part of a larger collection of political activities from 2025-2026 on Abidjan.net, which also includes other news such as the dissolution of the CEI, the appointment of Ibrahime Coulibaly Kuibiert as President of the Council of State, and the adoption of the PND 2026-2030 by the Senate in Yamoussoukro.
Ivorian Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé met with Tareq Muhmood, the regional president for Visa's CEMEA Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa zone, on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Abidjan-Plateau. Muhmood expressed Visa's intention to expand its activities in Côte d'Ivoire, highlighting the country as a "fantastic environment" for growing their business. He noted that this expansion aims to support digital payments within Côte d'Ivoire and neighboring West and Central African countries, fostering financial inclusion and economic development. Muhmood also emphasized Visa's goal to significantly contribute to the growth of the Ivorian economy, particularly through developing tourism and ensuring visitors can easily make payments to local merchants and economic operators. Visa officially opened its regional office in Abidjan in November 2017, following a memorandum of understanding.