The former head of the Ivorian parliament, Guillaume Kigbafori Soro, in exile since December 2019, broke the silence he had observed for several months. “Bogota”, as it is nicknamed, has this time chosen to speak directly to its activists through a videoconference broadcast on social networks. A communication strategy which aims first to reassure its activists about the crazy rumor that has been circulating for some time, about his state of health. He also took the opportunity to show his optimism about his political future, despite his life sentence. The leader of Generations and Solidarity Peoples (GPS) does not admit defeat and dreams of a national destiny. Moreover, he does not hesitate to proclaim it loud and clear whenever he has the opportunity. However, and it is important to note this, unlike his previous outings where he did not hesitate to shoot his arrows at President Alassane Ouattara and criticize his governance, Soro Guillaume adopted a fairly conciliatory, peaceful and courteous tone. We note, for once, that he was careful not to attack Alassane Ouattara head-on and to openly criticize his governance. Does this mean that Tieni Gbanani, (another nickname that Ivorians have given him) has chosen to turn his back on the invectives? The future will tell. That said, although his party was dissolved by the Abidjan authorities, Guillaume Soro and his activists are giving voice to show national and international opinion that they exist.
We can ask ourselves the question of whether at the current stage of things, Guillaume Soro has the means of his ambitions
“I’m fine, I’m moving around, I hold meetings, I travel”, asserts Tieni Gbanani who does not hesitate to give his opinion on all subjects that affect the life of the Ivorian nation. No doubt he seeks to exist politically and that’s fair game. Nature abhors a vacuum, a large number of its militants and not the least of them ended up letting it go and quickly joined the party in power. In view of all these elements, one can ask the question of whether at the current stage of things, Guillaume Soro has the means of his ambitions. Of course, since his exile, as he pointed out to his activists, he has been weaving his web while waiting for his time; he is strengthening his networks in view of the presidential election of 2025. But the reality on the ground escapes him, affected as he is by exile. We also note that in the Ivorian political pool, the old crocodiles that are Alassane Ouattara, Henri Konan Bédié and Laurent Gbagbo have so far not given up on their ambitions. For the moment, some are refusing to pass the baton to younger and competent executives of their respective parties. Guillaume Soro, who observes this scene from afar, has time to refine his strategy of conquest of power before 2025. Don’t we say that in politics, we must always be careful not to say “never”? This is why it is not excluded that by 2025, in the name of national reconciliation, all the sons and daughters who have broken with President Alassane Ouattara, will find themselves together smoking the pipe of peace. This hypothesis cannot be ruled out in absolute terms, including for Soro Guillaume.
Ben Issa TRAORE
