President Ouattara 5 Feb reiterated Ivorians will no longer be sent to International Criminal Court (ICC), noting national justice system has capacity to prosecute them; statement followed late-Jan start of ICC trials of former President Gbagbo and youth leader Charles Blé Goudé. Pro-Gbagbo officers Anselme Séka Yapo, Brunot Dogbo Blé and Séry Daleba sentenced to life 18 Feb for murder of former junta leader and President Gueï during 2002 failed coup. Prisoners in main Abidjan prison (MACA) rioted 20 Feb; one guard and ten prisoners, including infamous gangster Yacouba Coulibaly, aka “Yakou the Chinese”, killed.

Much-awaited ICC joint trial of former President Laurent Gbagbo and former youth leader Charles Blé Goudé opened 28 Jan; both pleaded not guilty on four counts of crimes against humanity. President Ouattara 12 Jan made limited cabinet reshuffle, including replacing FM Charles Diby Koffi with Albert Toikeuse Mabri. UNSC 20 Jan voted to reduce UN mission (UNOCI) to 4,000 troops by end March. High-level summit held 18 Jan in western Guiglo to address border insecurity with Liberia following early-Dec attack on military post near border. President Ouattara said border would reopen in March; asked for extension of UN mission in Liberia (UNMIL) mandate.

French judge 5 Dec issued warrant against Ivoirian National Assembly speaker Guillaume Soro following his repeated refusal to answer summons in case lodged by Michel Gbagbo, son of former President Laurent Gbagbo, for illegal detention and ill-treatment in 2011. Govt 8 Dec protested warrant, said Soro had diplomatic immunity; opposition leader Pascal Affi Nguessan 16 Dec called for Soro’s resignation. Unidentified gunmen 2 Dec attacked two military camps in Olodio in SW near Liberian border, seven soldiers and four attackers killed; three Ivoirian suspects arrested 15 Dec in refugee camp in Liberia. Gunmen 27 Dec attacked army post in Nougoua, near Ghanaian border; no casualties reported.

Constitutional Court 2 Nov announced official results of Oct presidential election, confirming President Ouattara’s reelection amid disagreement over voter turnout figures. Ouattara inaugurated 3 Nov, did not reshuffle govt, promised constitutional referendum to create VP post and soften presidential eligibility conditions concerning nationality.

Presidential elections held 25 Oct, observers reported peaceful conditions and credible results despite logistical challenges. Incumbent President Ouattara re-elected in first round with 83.7%; main contender Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) leader Pascal Affi Nguessan finished with only 9.3%. Controversy over turnout figures, officially at 52.86%. Presidential candidates former National Assembly President Mamadou Koulibaly and former FM Amara Essy 13 Oct, and PDCI dissident former PM Charles Konan Banny 23 Oct, withdrew from presidential race denouncing poor organisation of polls and possible fraud. Govt continued to limit freedom of assembly: opposition figure David Samba convicted 2 Oct, sentenced to six months’ jail for calling for protests against President Ouattara’s candidacy; rights group Amnesty International 7 Oct denounced arbitrary arrests, illegal detention of opponents and “climate of fear” ahead of elections.

Constitutional Court 10 Sept published final list of presidential candidates; hardline opposition denounced candidacy of incumbent President Ouattara, who they argue is not eligible to run. Youth wing of opposition National Coalition for Change (CNC) organised anti-Ouattara demonstrations same day in Abidjan, Gagnoa, Bayota and Logouta (west), and Bonoua (east); opposition recorded two dead and a dozen arrested. Ouattara 2 Sept said willing to meet with CNC but not under threat, responding to late-Aug CNC threat to prevent elections if demands for free and fair polls not answered. Peaceful CNC demonstration held 28 Sept in Abidjan, opposition leaders called for fair access to media and reform of electoral commission, which it accuses of pro-Ouattara bias.

Electoral preparations moved ahead; 33 presidential hopefuls submitted candidacies ahead of 25 Oct elections. Pascal Affi N’Guessan, leader of moderate faction of opposition Ivoirian Popular Front (FPI), sworn in by FPI as their presidential candidate 8 Aug. Aboudramane Sangaré’s hardline FPI faction refused to recognise N’Guessan as party leader and presidential candidate, 3 Aug published declaration alleging President Ouattara’s ineligibility to contest Oct election; 18 Aug called for election boycott. MP Alphonse Soro (RDR) 17 Aug escaped assassination attempt in Korhogo. Military tribunal 4 Aug convicted Anselme Seka Yapo and Jean-Noël Abehi, military officers under former President Laurent Gbagbo, to twenty years for murder and five years for desertion respectively.

Voter roll update ended 12 July: electoral commission announced 344,295 new voters registered. Some parties within opposition coalition National Coalition for Change (CNC) 7 July called for boycott of electoral commission’s activities. Former PM Charles Konan Banny named CNC president 22 July. Ivoirian court 6 July indicted twenty for crimes committed during 2010-2011 post-election crisis, including two former rebel leaders allied to President Ouattara, Cherif Ousmane and Losséni Fofana, and pro-Gbagbo General Guiai Bi Poin.

Protests against President Ouattara 9 June escalated in Abidjan, Gagnoa, Daloa and Guiglo; organisers reported four killed, govt said one. Opposition National Coalition for Change (CNC) 10 June denied organising demonstration, denounced govt’s “crackdown” on protesters. Govt 11 June opened investigation into allegedly illegal march, said organisers will face prosecution. CNC meeting 27 June featured speeches reviving dangerous ethnic and identity rhetoric; coalition member Mamadou Koulibaly, absent from meeting, 28 June denounced rhetoric as dangerous. Faction of opposition Ivoirian Patriotic Front (FPI) loyal to former President Gbagbo 15 June called for boycott of all Independent Electoral Commission activities. Trial of nine pro-Gbagbo officers accused of violence during 2010-2011 post-election crisis began 9 June. UNSC 24 June extended UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) mandate by one year.

Anti-President Ouattara parties 15 May signed charter creating National Coalition for Change (CNC) umbrella group. Tensions within opposition Ivoirian Patriotic Front (FPI) persisted between “moderate” wing led by Pascal Affi N’Guessan, and dissident faction led by Aboudramane Sangaré. Fourth FPI extraordinary party congress held 22 May, N’Guessan named as FPI presidential candidate. Three members of Sangaré faction arrested 4 May following dissident faction’s 30 April extraordinary congress, based on late-April court ruling banning faction supporting former President Gbagbo from gathering under FPI name. ICC 8 May said Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé joint trial set to begin Nov.