Ivorian President Ouattara’s chairing cabinet meeting ends coup rumours
By KEMI KASUMU and Agencies
The DEFENDER’s source in Abidjan, for the third time in 24 hours, said on Thursday May 22 that, “If they cut off the internet, how would I have been communicating with you? Maybe they are not talking about this country.”
President of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, on Wednesday May 21, 2025 presided over a council of ministers meeting at the presidential palace in Abidjan, the Ivorian capital, this putting an end to rumours of a possible coup d’etat in the Sahel region country.
The Ivorian presidency reportedly confirmed Ouattara’s attendance in a statement it issued, including pictures showing the president and cabinet members at the meeting.
False rumours of a military coup spread rapidly across social media platforms in Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d’Ivoire, whilst the government meeting took place.
Among other issues, officials addressed the diversification of electricity sources and adequate housing for citizens at the meeting.
An X user claimed that Ouattara may have been killed after military forces allegedly took over on Tuesday.
“Internet access in the country has been disrupted,” the user wrote.
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Multiple accounts spread the allegations via various social media platforms, including X, Facebook, TikTok, and mainstream media platforms.
On Facebook alone, some 9,700 users discussed the alleged coup, the platform’s metric showed as of Wednesday.
The rumours also claimed that Lassina Doumbia, the chief of army staff, had died.
The DEFENDER’s source in Abidjan had earlier debunked the rumour until it was further debunked by journalists in the French-speaking West African country who were spoken to by another online newspaper from Nigeria.
“There is no coup in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). The country is stable,” Christelle Kouamé, an Ivorian journalist living in Abidjan, said.
Kouamé is also a member of the executive council of the National Union of Journalists of Côte d’Ivoire and a member of the organisation of Investigative Journalists in Côte d’Ivoire.
“The president was also recently at the opening of the Africa CEO Forum. It was last week. There was even a council of ministers today. And President Ouattara was there,” she added.
“It is fake news. People do what they want with the internet. But it is thanks to the internet that I speak to you,” she said, debunking rumours of disrupted internet access.
The DEFENDER’s source in Abidjan, for the third time in 24 hours, said on Thursday May 22 that, “If they cut off the internet, how would I have been communicating with you? Maybe they are not talking about this country.”
Coup rumours have become increasingly common in West Africa, reflecting a region grappling with political instability, weakened democratic institutions, and growing public distrust in civilian governments.
In recent years, several countries—including Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Guinea—have seen successful military takeovers, fuelling speculation and anxiety in neighbouring states about who might be next.
Ivory Coast’s coup rumours came as the country prepares to host the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) annual meetings next week, according to a media report.
Officials will elect a new president, succeeding Akinwumi Adesina, who has served two terms.
