Abidjan: The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced the deployment of a pre-election fact-finding mission to Côte d'Ivoire, scheduled from 29 June to 5 July 2025. The initiative aligns with Article 12 of the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and Article 53(C) of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework. It follows a decision by the Conference of Heads of State and Government to ensure timely pre-election missions in Member States holding elections.
According to African Press Organization, the mission will be led by Professor Theodore HOLO, former president of the Constitutional Court of Benin. The fact-finding team comprises ten members, including Ambassador Abdel-Fatau MUSAH PhD, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the ECOWAS Commission, and H.E. Ms. Adjovi Yekpe, Ambassador of Benin to ECOWAS, representing the Committee of Permanent Representatives of ECOWAS Member States.
The mission will receive support from electoral experts from the sub-region and a technical team from ECOWAS. This team will be headed by H.E. Fanta Cissé, ECOWAS Resident Representative in Côte d'Ivoire. The deployment of this mission underscores ECOWAS's commitment to promoting democracy and preventing conflict in the region.