Tene Birahima Ouattara

Ivory Coast
Interior minister Diomandé's discreet Parisian meetings

During his stay, the minister has met with a number of senior French officials.

Ivory Coast
Army pays price for hefty Africa Cup expenditure

Following substantial investment in organising Africa's top football tournament, the government is in arrears to its defence suppliers. And this is having a knock-on effect on the army.

Ivory Coast
Macron's brand-new Africa envoy due to meet Ouattara

Emmanuel Macron's new 'personal envoy' for Africa, former minister Jean-Marie Bockel, will be in Abidjan on 20-21 February to discuss the ongoing reorganisation of France's military presence on the continent.

Ivory Coast
Banker Simon Tiemtoré makes final push to take over Oragroup

The Vista boss travelled to Abidjan in late December to resume talks on the takeover of Togo-based bank Oragroup, owned by Emerging Capital Partners.

Ivory Coast
Ouattara won't play ball over rising CAN 2023 costs

Ivory Coast's PM has rejected a new call for additional funding from the Organising Committee of the African Cup of Nations. This decision comes as President Ouattara is privately annoyed by the football tournament's considerable cost overruns.

Ivory Coast
French arms specialist Sofema begins new sales drive

The French reconditioned defence equipment specialist plans to send a team to Abidjan in early October to try to regain market share in Ivory Coast. The armoured vehicles market, where it faces competition from China's Norinco and Turkey's Otokar, is its main target

Ivory Coast
Ouattara mandates Standard Chartered to raise €813m

Ivory Coast plans to raise more than €800m in syndicated debt at a time when the country's public finances are in difficulty and the government is struggling to pay its domestic debt.

Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Senegal
Thales rejigs its West Africa operations

Having already closed its Nigerian office, the French electronics flagship is about to shut the doors of its Abidjan branch too. Its modest business activities in the region will henceforward be run from Dakar in Senegal.

West Africa
Paris presents military restructuring plan to African presidencies

The Elysée and the defence ministry have been holding discreet consultations with a handful of African "partners" to present the reorganisation of France's military presence on the continent.

Ivory Coast
Thales targets lucrative military radio contract

Thales representatives in Ivory Coast are currently chasing after a contract for military radios that could be worth tens of millions of euros.

Ivory Coast
Steve Bokhobza brokers helicopters for Ivorian army under alias of David Nakash

Abidjan's recent hiring and acquisition of H125 helicopters for the armed forces was arranged by Magen-ta Solutions, a Spanish firm created by Steve Bokhobza, a controversial defence equipment broker with dual French-Israeli citizenship who now goes by the name of David Nakash.

Palace Intrigues
William Ruto, Denis Sassou Nguesso, Kaïs Saïed, Ben Moctar Maouloud

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

KenyaState House employees find First Lady's fasting hard to swallow

CongoDenis Sassou Nguesso honours his oilmen

TunisiaKaïs Saïed blocks football boss from attending FIFA congress

Ivory CoastBen Moctar Maouloud courts French arms companies at Bpifrance salon