Abidjan, October 29, 2019
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has deployed ninety observers for the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission (ECOWAS-EOM) to the Presidential Election in Côte d’Ivoire. This deployment was done today, October 29, 2020 in Abidjan, ahead of the October 31st Presidential Election.

Delivering a goodwill message at the opening, Dr. Remi Ajibewa, Director Political Affairs of the ECOWAS Commission, expressed the determination of the ECOWAS Commission to accompany Côte d’Ivoire through the Presidential Elections in line with the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance of 2001.

Thanking the Observers for sacrificing their time important regional assignment, Gen. Francis Awagbe Behanzin, Commissioner Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the ECOWAS Commission, highlighted that ECOWAS as part of electoral assistance programme to Member States deployed technical experts and observers to Côte d’Ivoire.

Adding that, H.E. Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, approved the deployment of 10 long-term election observers and 80 short-term observers to support and monitor the entire electoral process. He called on the army to exercise professionalism in handling electoral issues.

Head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission to the Presidential election in Côte d’Ivoire, H.E. Cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Senegal in his welcome address stressed that ECOWAS will support Côte d’Ivoire to conduct a credible, peaceful and transparent election.

Prime Minister Soumaré charged the observers that with the diversity of their expertise, he had no doubt that they will provide the world with the true situation of the election.