Abidjan, August 21, 2024 – Kando Soumahoro and Mamadou Traoré, close associates of Guillaume Soro, have been handed severe sentences by the courts in Côte d'Ivoire. On August 21, 2024, Soumahoro received a thirty-six-month prison term, including two years in jail and five years of civic rights deprivation, following a conviction for "disturbing public order." This verdict comes just days after Traoré was sentenced on August 16, 2024, to two years in prison and five years of loss of civil rights for the same charge.

This marks the second trial in less than a week involving a member of Soro’s political party, Générations et Peuples Solidaires (GPS). The verdicts have sparked controversy and accusations of political manipulation of the judicial system. Some opposition members argue that these trials are politically motivated and reflect a systematic bias against GPS.

During the trial, the presiding judge emphasized that the cases were adjudicated based on current legislation, not political affiliation. The judge stated, "We do not judge someone for being part of a political party, but according to the law established by elected representatives. Maintaining an association that has been dissolved constitutes an offense."

Both Soumahoro and Traoré were charged with "disturbing public order." Traoré’s conviction stemmed from a Facebook post where he falsely claimed that the military equipment displayed during the August 7 independence parade was rented from the European “Takuba” force, expelled from Mali. Soumahoro was accused of illegally maintaining GPS as a political entity by signing a joint opposition declaration on August 9, despite a 2021 court order dissolving the party for alleged "subversive activities."

GPS had appealed the dissolution, with the appeal rejected on February 13, 2023, and a cassation appeal still pending. The defense argues that GPS remains legally active until all appeals are exhausted and claims that Soumahoro signed the document as part of an association, not the political party. They argue that a legal association cannot be dissolved by judicial decision.

In recent days, the arrest of Soumahoro has been met with mixed reactions from opposition parties. A joint statement by the signatories of the August 9 declaration, led by Paul-Hervé Agoubli of the Objectif République movement, condemned Soumahoro’s "arbitrary arrest" and demanded his immediate release. They accused the judicial system of being used for political ends.

However, the Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire (PDCI-RDA), despite initially supporting the declaration, distanced itself from GPS. The PDCI-RDA reiterated its commitment to defending individual rights but clarified that its support for Soumahoro should not be seen as an alliance with GPS. The party stressed its commitment to upholding the rule of law and democratic institutions.

In March, following the national team's victory at the Africa Cup of Nations, President Alassane Ouattara granted clemency to 51 prisoners, including several Soro associates. Soro himself, exiled since late 2019 and convicted of “endangering state security,” remains subject to a life imprisonment sentence.

Source: Le Monde