A leak of confidential Russian documents, analyzed by a consortium of investigative media outlets, sheds light on Moscow's ambitions in Ivory Coast. These reports, dating from 2024, detail a strategy aimed at destabilizing French influence in this historical stronghold of Paris by targeting key figures in the Ivorian opposition.

An "informational battlefield"

According to information relayed by Jeune Afrique and RFI , nearly 1,400 documents from a network of consultants linked to the late Yevgeny Prigozhin have been examined. These archives describe Ivory Coast not as a mere partner, but as a veritable "information battleground."

Russian intelligence reports indicate that "working meetings" were held in July 2024 with two major players on the Ivorian political scene:

1. Guillaume Soro: The former Prime Minister in exile, already perceived as an ally of Moscow.
2. Laurent Gbagbo's entourage: Several close associates of the former president have reportedly been approached.

Guillaume Soro: The natural ally of the Sahelian bloc?

The case of Guillaume Soro seems to confirm a trajectory that began several years ago. In exile in the Sahel-Sahel Alliance (ASA) zone — which includes Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger — Soro no longer hides his affinities:

1. Geographical and ideological proximity: He openly supports the military regimes in the region.
2. Russian background: His visit to Russia in 2022 had already marked a break with Abidjan's traditional diplomatic line.
3. Head-on opposition: He uses this support to intensify his criticism of Alassane Ouattara's government.

The Gbagbo camp between denials and sovereignist ambiguity

Although the Russian documents mention contacts with the Gbagbo clan, the reaction of the Party of African Peoples – Ivory Coast (PPA-CI) is categorical.

"No contact has taken place with the Russian services among Laurent Gbagbo's true associates," says Jean-Gervais Tchéidé, a party official.

The PPA-CI maintains a complex diplomatic tightrope:

1. Support for sovereignty: The party views the desire for independence of the regimes of the ESA favorably, while remaining cautious about the role of Russia.
2. Nuance on coups d'état: Laurent Gbagbo condemned the coup in Niger in 2023, while categorically rejecting the idea of an armed intervention by ECOWAS.
3. Katinan controversy: Justin Koné Katinan's visit to Burkina Faso in 2024 has, however, reinforced the suspicions of the Ivorian government regarding a possible alliance of convenience between the PPA-CI and the pro-Russian regimes of the Sahel.

In summary: As Russia seeks to extend its influence in West Africa, Ivory Coast becomes the epicenter of a struggle for influence where the opposition finds itself, willingly or not, at the heart of a major geopolitical game aimed at disrupting the order established by Abidjan and its Western partners.