Côte d'Ivoire and France to conduct joint military exercises

The Ivorian Armed Forces and French forces will conduct a large-scale joint military exercise, named "Touraco 2026," from April 7 to May 15, 2026. This was announced by the Ivorian General Staff in a communiqué. The maneuvers will take place in several locations across the country, including Abidjan, Assinie, Bouaké, Gagnoa, Sassandra, and Yamoussoukro. This exercise is part of the operational military partnership between Abidjan and Paris and aims to strengthen the operational capabilities of the Ivorian air force, in line with its preparation and training program. According to the communiqué signed by the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, General Lassina Doumbia, both armies will mobilize ground and air assets, with aircraft and military vehicle movements occurring day and night. The General Staff warned that these activities might cause noise disturbances in the affected areas and apologized in advance to the local populations. Military authorities assured that all measures would be taken to allow residents to continue their daily activities normally during the exercise period.