Côte d’Ivoire Quells Coup Rumours as President Ouattara Chairs Cabinet Meeting

• False rumours of a military coup in Côte d’Ivoire spread rapidly online while President Alassane Ouattara chaired a cabinet meeting in Abidjan
• Government sources and local journalists swiftly debunked the misinformation, confirming both the president’s public appearance and national stability
• The incident reflects rising coup-related paranoia in West Africa as the country prepares for the upcoming African Development Bank annual summit

President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire appeared in public on Wednesday, leading a cabinet meeting at the presidential palace in Abidjan amid a swirl of social media rumours falsely claiming a military coup was underway in the West African country.

The meeting, which brought together senior government officials, focused on national issues such as diversifying energy sources and improving housing infrastructure.

Officials debunk coup reports

Photographs released by the Ivorian presidency showed President Ouattara alongside his ministers, firmly debunking viral claims of a power grab or his demise.

As the council session progressed, social media platforms were flooded with unverified posts suggesting that a coup had taken place and that the army chief, General Lassina Doumbia, had been killed.

One widely circulated post on X (formerly Twitter) alleged the president may have been assassinated, further stoking panic with assertions that internet access in the country had been cut.

By Wednesday afternoon, Facebook metrics indicated that nearly 10,000 users had engaged with content referencing the alleged coup. Videos, commentary, and misleading headlines gained traction on TikTok, Facebook, and even some international blogs.

President to make public appearances

Journalists and government insiders swiftly moved to calm public fears. “There is no coup in Côte d’Ivoire. The country is stable,” said Christelle Kouamé, a journalist based in Abidjan and member of the National Union of Journalists of Côte d’Ivoire.

She affirmed the president’s recent appearances at both the Africa CEO Forum and Wednesday’s cabinet meeting as evidence that the state remains fully functional.

Responding to claims about internet disruptions, Kouamé dismissed them as part of the misinformation campaign.

“It is fake news. People do what they want with the internet. But it is thanks to the internet that I speak to you,” she said.

False coup claims have become a recurring concern across West Africa, a region increasingly rattled by political uncertainty.

Since 2020, countries such as Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger have experienced military takeovers, fuelling public paranoia and regional speculation.

Côte d’Ivoire’s recent experience underlines the susceptibility of stable democracies to destabilising rumours, particularly during politically sensitive periods.

The country is set to host the African Development Bank’s annual meetings next week, during which a successor to current AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina will be elected.

Burkina Faso orders immediate lockdown of military barracks

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that tensions remain high across Burkina Faso a week after authorities announced they had foiled a major coup attempt aimed at toppling the military junta led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré.

The government disclosed that the plan to overthrow the administration was uncovered after security agents intercepted communications between a senior military officer and terrorist groups.

Source: Legit.ng