Ivorian opposition figure, Guillaume Soro, declared an end to his exile in a video announcement on Sunday, November 12. On Monday, November 13, his political movement, Generations and Peoples Solidarity (GPS) revealed in a statement that Soro is currently in Niamey, Niger, where he held discussions with the transitional president, Abdourahamane Tchiani.
Contrary to putting an end to his exile from Côte d’Ivoire, Soro signals his return to the African political arena. According to sources close to him, he intends to reside in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and potentially Guinea-Bissau in the coming months.
As per a GPS statement, Guillaume Soro arrived in Niamey on November 11. Visual documentation of his meeting with the transitional president, General Abdourahamane Tiani, alongside Niger’s ministers of Defense and Interior, was made public.
“I had the honor of being received today in audience by the Transition President of Niger, Head of State, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, accompanied by General Salifou Mody, Minister of Defense, and General Mohamed Toumba, Minister of the Interior. The meeting, which lasted…”
Reportedly, the two leaders engaged in discussions concerning sub-regional security issues and strategies for a smooth transition.
To recall, Guillaume Soro has faced two convictions in Côte d’Ivoire for “endangering state security” and “misappropriation of public funds,” prompting the Ivorian justice system to issue a warrant for his arrest. The opposition leader vehemently asserts his innocence, proclaiming himself “guilty of no wrongdoing.”
Additionally, the former Prime Minister is the subject of a French judicial inquiry into the assassination of Ibrahima Coulibaly in April 2011, initiated nine years later following a complaint by the daughter of the former rebel leader. Guillaume Soro’s attorney dismissed the investigation as a “slanderous and political procedure.”
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Ivorian government declined to comment on Soro’s declaration and activities. The unfolding developments cast a compelling spotlight on the dynamic intersections of politics and justice.