Dominique Ouattara

Ivory Coast
Loic Folloroux loses another round to RockWinds in marathon cocoa court case

The Bordeaux Court of Appeal has upheld a first instance ruling in the multi-million euro dispute between the French-Ivorian trader and the Bordeaux-based firm.

Palace Intrigues
Alassane Ouattara, Emmanuel Macron, Pedro Sanchez and Mohammed VI

Intrigues big and small... Every Tuesday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond. This week: Ouattara's latest French holiday, Macron beats Sarkozy, Pedro Sanchez seeks Mohammed VI... again.

Ivory Coast Ouattara takes a new break in France

Congo Macron to beat Sarkozy... for shortest visit

Morocco/Spain Second time lucky for Sanchez and the king in Rabat?

Ivory Coast
Worried Ivorian cocoa traders turn to Ouattara for help

Local cocoa exporters are experiencing significant supply issues and may not manage to honour the contracts that expire when the main 2022-2023 harvest ends this month. Citing lack of action from the cocoa regulatory board, they are asking the president to step in.

Ivory Coast
Ivorian high society haunt Sofitel Abidjan to be closed for renovation

The Accor hotel group plans to close the Sofitel Hotel Ivoire Abidjan for a major renovation before the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, which is due to take place in Abidjan in January 2024.

France, Ivory Coast
Ouattara to dine with Macron at Elysée

Dans le cadre de son séjour en France, le président ivoirien rencontrera son homologue à l'Elysée. Les deux hommes doivent se retrouver dans le cadre d'un dîner.

Palace Intrigues
Emmanuel Macron, William Ruto, Alassane Ouattara, Isabel Dos Santos, Chanel

Intrigues big and small: every Tuesday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.

France/KenyaWilliam Ruto keeps Emmanuel Macron waiting

Ivory CoastAlassane Ouattara's prized African art museum

AngolaIsabel Dos Santos calls Embalo to the rescue

SenegalChanel VIPs visit Dakar

Ivory Coast
Power struggle between big business and Abidjan slows cocoa campaign

International traders and chocolate manufacturers are limiting purchases of cocoa beans in Ivory Coast. The local regulatory board is requiring them to acquire 20% from local exporters, and they are unable to find enough 'sustainable' material locally.

Ivory Coast
Ouattara flying off for diplomatic missions in the Vatican and UN

Ivorian head of state Alassane Ouattara is due to fly to the Vatican on 11 September to meet the pope, and following that he'll head to New York to attend the UN General Assembly.

France
Judge Dominique Blanc no longer on 'ill-gotten gains' case

There will be a new judge on the case of the "ill-gotten gains" in France involving the presidential families of Gabon and Congo as the investigations continue and charges pile up.

France, Ivory Coast
Ouattara takes keen interest in French tax probe into Propharmed

Propharmed, a pharmaceutical wholesaler being probed by the French tax authorities for not paying VAT on drugs it exports to Africa, has close links to the Ivorian president's office, which is anxiously monitoring the investigation.

Ivory Coast
RockWinds and Africa Sourcing's spat over €5m cocoa investment bounces back in Paris

The dispute between Matthew Stolz's RockWinds trading company and its former Ivorian partner Africa Sourcing, which is claiming back €5m RockWinds invested in cocoa futures, has already been arbitrated in London but is now the subject of proceedings at a Paris court.

Ivory Coast
Regime business barons make reality TV their latest battleground

Loïc Folloroux and Fabrice Sawegnon, both linked to the presidential couple, are competitors in television as well as in the corridors of power, and their stations have got caught up in their tug-of-war.

Ivory Coast
Belgian John Cockerill to revamp Abidjan's Sofitel Ivoire

Belgian industrial group John Cockerill's Ivorian subsidiary has been picked to make urgent upgrades and repairs to parts of Sofitel Ivoire's main building and conference centre.