Côte d'Ivoire: French President Emmanuel Macron to visit December 20-22

Event

French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Abidjan from Friday, December 20, through Sunday, December 22. During his trip, Macron will meet his Ivorian counterpart Alassane Ouattara to discuss bilateral projects and regional security cooperation. Macron will then celebrate the end-of-year holidays with the French military forces based in Camp Port-Bouet near Abidjan. He will also attend a remembrance ceremony honoring eight French soldiers and an American citizen killed on the Bouaké Military Base on November 6, 2004.

A heightened security presence and associated disruptions, such as road closures, are possible in Abidjan during the visit.

Context

Emmanuel Macron will celebrate the end-of-year holidays with French troops in Port-Bouet Camp, the second-largest French military base on the African continent after Djibouti.

Macron and Ouattara will together honor the memory of the eight French and the American citizen that lost their lives when Ivorian airplanes bombed French peacekeepers. French forces responded by shooting down government aircrafts in a clash considered as a key moment in the politico-military Ivorian Crisis.

Advice

Individuals in Abidjan are advised to keep abreast of the situation, obey all instructions issued by local authorities, and anticipate traffic disruptions and heightened security measures.