In a diplomatic move, Guillaume Soro, the former Prime Minister and ex-President of the National Assembly of Ivory Coast, was received on Tuesday in Ouagadougou by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the current head of Burkina Faso’s transitional government. This meeting follows a prior engagement in Niamey and is part of Soro’s ongoing efforts to seek support for his return to Ivory Coast, where he has been living in exile for the past four years.
Arriving at midday on a military flight, Soro, adorned in a custom-tailored beige suit, held an audience with the President of the Transition, Captain Ibrahim Traoré. The undisclosed duration of the meeting reportedly involved discussions on regional reconciliation, as indicated by an official statement from the Burkinabè presidency.
Soro expressed gratitude to his host, drawing attention to the significance of being able to set foot on Burkinabè soil once again, thanks to a military government, contrasting it with what he described as a refusal by a purportedly democratic government to acknowledge his citizen rights.
The purpose behind Soro’s engagements with military authorities in Burkina Faso remains a subject of speculation. A West African diplomat stationed in Abuja suggests that Soro is actively seeking support and advice from military regimes to facilitate his return to Côte d’Ivoire. This diplomatic source asserts that Soro is adopting the stance of a revolutionary seeking to reclaim a political foothold in preparation for the 2025 presidential elections in Côte d’Ivoire.
As Soro continues to navigate the political landscape in pursuit of backing, his strategic interactions with military leaders in the region are seen as integral to his envisioned return to the political arena in Côte d’Ivoire. The dynamics of his engagements underscore a nuanced approach, blending diplomacy and revolutionary rhetoric, as he positions himself for the unfolding political landscape leading up to the next presidential election.