As political tensions rise ahead of Ivory Coast’s October presidential election, the country’s Catholic bishops have called on the government to ensure the “political inclusion of all candidates” on the electoral roll in order to guarantee a “peaceful and inclusive election.”

In a statement read March 24 by Bishop Marcellin Yao Kouadio of Daloa, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ivory Coast, the prelates urged national authorities to take action toward “a political decision to include all candidates on the electoral list for a fair, transparent, inclusive and peaceful presidential election.”

With just seven months to go before the vote scheduled for Oct. 25, the country’s political climate remains tense and uncertain. A recent provisional electoral roll has excluded several prominent opposition figures, including former president Laurent Gbagbo and his former youth minister, Charles Blé Goudé. Both men were acquitted by the International Criminal Court in 2019 but have been barred from voting rolls following 20-year prison sentences in absentia — verdicts they contest.

Guillaume Soro, the former rebel leader and exiled opposition figure, was also removed from the list after being sentenced to 20 years in prison for embezzlement of public funds.

Meanwhile, the eligibility of Cheick Tidjane Thiam — the recently elected head of the opposition Democratic Party of Ivory Coast–African Democratic Rally (PDCI-RDA) — is being hotly debated. Thiam renounced his French citizenship to run for president, but the controversy surrounding his nationality has reignited memories of the “Ivoirité” debate that plagued President Alassane Ouattara’s early political career in the 1990s. Ouattara, who has been in power since 2011, has not ruled out a potential bid for a fourth term — a move many of his supporters favored.

'A social climate of fear and stress'

“The sociopolitical situation is troubling,” the bishops said in their message, denouncing a “culture of violence,” including the growing threat of youth gangs known locally as “microbes,” the suppression of political protests, vote-buying, land scandals, and the continued imprisonment or exile of opposition figures. They also condemned “identity-driven, indecent, and disrespectful rhetoric” that only deepens “mistrust and social tension marked by fear and stress.”

The bishops warned that Ivorians are still traumatized by past elections, particularly the violent post-election crises of 2010 and 2020. “This upcoming election must not descend into social crisis, with its aftermath of intercommunal conflict, family breakdown, criminality, lies, humiliation, and dehumanization,” they said, while urging the population to “hold on to hope.”

A warning to electoral authorities and a plea for peace

The bishops also addressed the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), which has faced heavy criticism from the opposition and parts of civil society. The church called on the commission to “build trust by adhering to the highest standards of transparency and impartiality.” Following the March 17 release of the provisional voter list, the CEI opened a period for challenges. The bishops urged the body to “work to eliminate any potential flaws in the system that could undermine public confidence in the upcoming elections.”

In a broader appeal, the bishops called on political parties, religious leaders, journalists, youth, and security forces to act with responsibility, dignity, and professionalism.

“Let us no longer put our country and its people in danger,” they said. “We do not want another post-election conflict. No more war. No more deaths. Our country stands at a crossroads — a new chapter is opening for a better future. Young people, women, and men of our beautiful nation, be artisans of peace.”