After nearly five years in exile, former Ivorian Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, sentenced to life in his country, returned to the African continent and met General Abdourahamane Tiani, who came to power in Niger through a coup d’état last July.
Guillaume Soro, who declared the end of his exile on Sunday evening, chose Niger as his place of return, thus directly avoiding his native country where he faces a life sentence. The meeting between Soro and Tiani was described as exceptional by the quality and depth of the exchanges, according to Soro’s statements.
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This strategic decision by Soro to choose Niger as a point of return is seen as a strategy to “maneuver in relative security” in a complex geopolitical context. Relations between Ivory Coast and Niger have been strained since the military coup that toppled President Mohamed Bazoum in July. Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara had been vocal in favor of economic sanctions and military intervention to restore Bazoum to office.
Ivorian political analyst Arthur Banga underlines that a new geopolitical configuration is emerging in the sub-region, with several juntas (Burkina, Mali, Niger) considering Abidjan as an adversary. Soro, by moving geographically closer to Ivory Coast, could maneuver in these countries in relative security. Geoffroy Kouao, another political analyst, suggests that Soro chose Niger because of the current poor relations between Abidjan and Niamey.
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Guillaume Soro, former leader of the rebellion who helped Alassane Ouattara gain power, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2020 for “concealment of embezzlement of public funds” in Ivory Coast, then to life imprisonment in 2021 for “endangering state security”. Accused of having fomented a “civil and military insurrection” aimed at overthrowing the Ouattara regime in 2019, his appeal was deemed inadmissible. His return and meeting with Tiani in Niger raise questions about future political developments in the region.
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