Published: July 30, 2025
ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire – Côte d’Ivoire’s Catholic bishops have issued a stark warning ahead of the country’s 2025 presidential election, urging sweeping reforms to prevent a repeat of the violence that has marred past polls.
In a pastoral letter released Tuesday, July 29, in Abidjan, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Côte d’Ivoire (CECCI) called for a “just, transparent, inclusive, and peaceful” vote. The declaration, titled “For a Just, Transparent, Inclusive, and Peaceful Presidential Election in Côte d’Ivoire,” reflects on 35 years of multiparty politics and warns that without meaningful change, the country risks descending once again into chaos.
The bishops lamented that while Côte d’Ivoire has held regular elections since gaining independence, these exercises in democracy have too often been moments of disruption, marked by violence, fraud, corruption, and exclusion. They said elections, meant to express the will of the people, have instead repeatedly endangered national unity.
The letter recounted the country’s troubled electoral history, pointing to key flashpoints including the 1990 presidential vote, which saw clashes and judicial acknowledgments of electoral violence. In 1995, widespread communal unrest and political attacks led to an opposition boycott and, eventually, the 1999 coup d’état. The 2000 elections triggered a chaotic transition of power and bloody clashes. By 2002, a political crisis spiraled into full-scale rebellion, dividing the country and paralyzing its institutions. The deadliest of these crises came after the disputed 2010 vote, when both leading candidates claimed victory, triggering a civil war that killed more than 3,000 people.
The bishops attributed these repeated collapses not only to political tensions but also to entrenched systemic weaknesses. They described the nation’s democratic culture as fragile, with low civic engagement, disregard for constitutional norms, and weak institutions undermining electoral integrity. Civil society, while potentially a force for good, has often been politicized and ineffective.
Compounding these challenges, the bishops said, is the complexity of Côte d’Ivoire’s demographic makeup. A significant portion of the population consists of immigrants, and problems with civil registration and national identification continue to plague the voter roll. They warned that these vulnerabilities are easily exploited for political gain.
Corruption remains another critical concern. The bishops cited the widespread monetization of public processes, including elections, as a major threat to democracy. They criticized the lack of campaign spending limits and transparency, which allows political financing to distort competition and public trust.
The bishops also condemned the state of the country’s media. They said public media remains under tight state control, while private media outlets frequently abandon journalistic standards in favor of partisan activism. This environment, they warned, promotes hate speech and deepens societal divisions.
Despite these problems, the CECCI maintained that Côte d’Ivoire still has the moral, legal, and spiritual tools to chart a different course. Citing Pope Francis’s Fratelli Tutti, they warned that unchecked power leads to domination, arrogance, and self-interest that can destroy society. They also drew on the teachings of Pope John XXIII, stressing that true peace must rest on a foundation of truth, justice, love, and freedom.
The bishops urged all political actors to choose dialogue over confrontation. They called for inclusive discussions to resolve lingering disputes and for the public to embrace unity over division. They said the upcoming presidential election must be a turning point—one that demonstrates democratic maturity and prioritizes national reconciliation over power struggles.
They called for fraternity, love, and peace, reminding Ivorians that only truth can set the country free.
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