馃嚚馃嚠C么te d'IvoireWest Africa
C么te d'Ivoire's Minister of Planning and Development defends nation's stance on debt, development, and resilience at World Bank Group Africa II meeting
via Abidjan.net9 min read
Dr. Souleymane Diarrassouba, C么te d'Ivoire's Minister of Planning and Development and World Bank Governor for the country, participated in the World Bank Group Africa II Bureau meeting in Washington on April 14, 2026. The meeting, held during the World Bank's Spring Meetings, addressed the continent's structural vulnerabilities to global shocks like Covid-19, the war in Ukraine, and Middle East tensions, and their impact on budgetary space, food security, and employment in Africa. C么te d'Ivoire was highlighted for its innovative debt-to-education investment conversion operation of 230 million euros, alongside Angola, with participants advocating for the expansion of such mechanisms across Africa. Minister Diarrassouba outlined C么te d'Ivoire's position, calling for better alignment between World Bank priorities and national realities, and for disbursements to be calibrated to each state's absorption and execution capacities. He also advocated for new instruments to protect African budgetary space against external shocks and emphasized the crucial role of manufacturing and the private sector in creating quality jobs for African youth. The next African Caucus meeting is scheduled for July 6-8, 2026, in Gambia, ahead of the 2026 Annual Meetings in Thailand.
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.
Vice President Ti茅moko Meyliet Kon茅 met with Master Artisan Chocolatier Cheffe Viviane Kouam茅 on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at the Presidential Palace. Kouam茅, the first woman to achieve the title of Master Chocolatier in West Africa, expressed her honor and happiness at presenting her work, career, and global accolades to the Vice President. She received the Excellence Award for Best Artisan in C么te d'Ivoire in 2024. Kouam茅 aims to expand her production to cover both national and international markets, and to further represent C么te d'Ivoire at international exhibitions with her range of local-flavored chocolate products, including atti茅k茅 chocolate. She encouraged fellow chocolatiers and pastry chefs to promote their professions. Vice President Kon茅 congratulated her on her work in cocoa transformation, the promotion of cocoa-derived products, and her commitment to showcasing C么te d'Ivoire's capabilities, aligning with President Alassane Ouattara's industrialization goals. The Minister, Chief of Staff to the Vice President, Emmanuel Ahoutou Koffi, also attended the meeting.
Must ReadSpain has secured its place in the 2026 World Cup final after defeating France 2-0 in a semi-final match held on Tuesday at the Dallas stadium. The Spanish team demonstrated a strong performance and offensive efficiency. The first goal came in the 22nd minute from a penalty, converted by Mikel Oyarzabal after a foul on Lamine Yamal. Despite French attempts to equalize, Spain's defense held firm. In the second half, Pedro Porro extended Spain's lead to 2-0 in the 58th minute. France was unable to close the gap before the final whistle. Spain will now face the winner of the match between Argentina and England in the final, while France will play for third place on Saturday.
The West African Economic and Monetary Union UEMOA has announced a call for applications for its excellence scholarship program. This initiative aims to select ten students from each member state to pursue higher education within the Union. The scholarships will support studies at the Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate, or postdoctoral specialization levels in human health, at accredited higher education institutions located within UEMOA territory. This program, titled "UEMOA Excellence Scholarship Program for Training and Research," is part of the UEMOA Commission's 2025-2030 strategic plan, "Impact 2030." The scholarships are not cumulative with other grants and cannot be deferred; online training is not eligible. Eligibility criteria vary by academic level. For Bachelor's level, applicants must be 21 years old maximum by December 31, 2026, hold a Baccalaureate obtained in 2026 with a minimum average of 14/20. Master's candidates must be 24 years old maximum by December 31, 2026, hold a Bac+3 degree Bachelor's with a minimum average of 14/20. Doctoral candidates must be 28 years old maximum by December 31, 2026, hold a Bac+5 degree Master's, Engineer, DESS with a minimum average of 14/20. For human health specialization, applicants must be 35 years old maximum by December 31, 2026, hold a Doctorate or PhD in medicine or pharmacy, and have a minimum average of 14/20. The application deadline is August 30, 2026, and interested candidates can apply online via the UEMOA website ht