
The Professional African MMA PRIAM league, a new sports league aimed at developing combat sports across Africa and enabling athletes to earn a living from their craft, was officially launched on Friday, May 1, 2026, in Abidjan. The launch event was attended by numerous MMA athletes and representatives from the Ivorian Mixed Martial Arts Federation FIAMM. This initiative, led by Ouhon Jallah Henry, an MMA athlete and trainer, and supported by FIAMM, seeks to elevate African athletes and allow them to compete with their Western counterparts. Henry stated that the vision for PRIAM is to highlight young African talents, as there are many in Côte d'Ivoire, and to professionalize the sport, as many existing African leagues are not professional. Colonel Tapé Legrey, representing FIAMM, emphasized that the new league will promote Ivorian MMA and help build careers for athletes, aspiring for a global standard. David Coppola, technical director of the Ivorian MMA Federation, added that the league will provide a platform for all African athletes to express themselves, noting the growing enthusiasm for MMA among the Ivorian population, evidenced by high-level fights in Abidjan.
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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.