Controversial images circulating on social media have fueled rumors of the opening of a cell of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) in Abidjan. However, the Ivorian government categorically denies this information, as does the Tuareg separatist movement in question.

📸 The Origin of the Rumor

1. Viral spread: A video, massively shared on TikTok and Facebook, shows a group of veiled men (dressed in traditional Tuareg outfits) and an unveiled woman, sitting around a table.
2. The clues: Behind them, we can see a red-yellow-white tricolour flag, often associated with Azawad, the vast desert region in northern Mali that Tuareg movements have claimed as independent since 2012.
3. The allegations: The publications accompanying these images claim that this is the " Formation of the Azwad Liberation Front in Ivory Coast today " or the " FAF office in Ivory Coast ".

⚔️ The Tense Context

These rumors come amid a volatile diplomatic climate between Ivory Coast and the ESA states (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger), all ruled by military juntas. Bamako and its allies regularly accuse Abidjan of harboring their opponents.

The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) , created in late 2024, is a Tuareg separatist coalition engaged in open conflict against the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) and their Russian Wagner allies. The opening of an FLA office on Ivorian soil would have constituted a major new source of tension.

🗣️ Clarifications

1. The defense of the Azawadians

A clarification video, shared by a national, sought to calm the situation, stating that the original discussion in Tamasheq (Tuareg language) was solely about the organization and coordination of the Azawad population already living legally in Ivory Coast.

2. The Ivorian Government's Denial

When questioned on December 3, 2025, government spokesperson Amadou Coulibaly was unambiguous:

1. Authentication: " Our services have not indicated that this office exists here in Ivory Coast and have not authenticated these images ."
2. Hypotheses: He raised the possibility of deepfakes and misinterpretation of the images, noting that the visible flag was not that of Ivory Coast.

3. The FLA's Position

To put an end to the speculation, the Azawad Liberation Front itself published a statement on December 3, 2025. The movement denounces "a disinformation campaign" and categorically states that it "has not opened any office in the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire" .

💡 Conclusion

The opening of an office of the Azawad Liberation Front in Abidjan is fake news . The existence of such a cell is formally denied by the Ivorian authorities and by the Tuareg separatist movement itself.