President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire on Wednesday presided over a council of ministers meeting at the presidential palace in Abidjan, the Ivorian capital.
The Ivorian presidency confirmed Ouattara’s attendance in a statement issued, including pictures showing the president and cabinet members at the meeting.
Diversification of electricity sources and adequate housing for citizens were among the topics addressed at the meeting.
The high-level meeting took place amid growing coup reports on social media in Ivory Coast.
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.
The allegations were spread across multiple accounts via various social media platforms, including X, Facebook, TikTok, and mainstream media platforms.
On Facebook alone, some 9.7k users discussed the alleged coup, the platform’s metric showed as of Wednesday.
Lassina Doumbia, chief of army staff, was also rumoured to have been killed.
Journalists in the French-speaking West African country have debunked the reports.
“There is no coup in Côte d’Ivoire. 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.
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 experienced 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.
A new president is expected to be elected, succeeding Akinwumi Adesina, who has served two terms.
