
Ambassador Aly Touré, spokesperson for the Cocoa Producing Countries of the International Cocoa Organization ICCO, conducted a working visit to the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative ICCG in Accra, Ghana, on Monday, April 20, 2026. This visit is part of his consultations to address the challenges in the global cocoa economy. The Executive Secretary of the ICCG, Alex Assanvo, received Ambassador Touré, who was accompanied by Michel Arrion, Executive Director of the ICCO. The purpose of the visit was to gather insights, expertise, and advice from the head of the Initiative, particularly regarding the private sector, price-setting mechanisms, and production tools. This consultation is in preparation for meetings of the working group established by the ICCO Producers' College to analyze the market situation and the issue of prices, which often do not adequately compensate small-scale producers. The discussions also covered the challenges and questions related to the sustainability of the global cocoa economy, where producers are often the weakest link in the value chain. The visit follows the "Abidjan Declaration" of March 26, 2018, where President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d'Ivoire and former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana reaffirmed their commitment to defining a common and sustainable strategy for cocoa to increase prices for producers in their respective countries.
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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.