NAIROBI, Kenya — Wild coup rumors swept across Côte d’Ivoire on Wednesday, turning a normally bustling online space into a swirl of panic and unverified claims.
Social media lit up with posts alleging everything from violent military takeovers to President Alassane Ouattara being captured, killed, or having fled the country altogether.
None of it is confirmed. Yet the sheer volume of claims—bolstered by reports of internet outages and alleged street violence—threw the West African nation into a cloud of uncertainty.
So far, no mainstream Ivorian news outlet has confirmed any coup attempt, nor has the Ivorian government issued an official statement.
Reports of over 33 deaths between May 19 and 20 have only added fuel to the fire, coming amid what many are calling a “media blackout.”
The silence from official channels and the rising tension on the ground have created an information vacuum—one being filled rapidly, and dangerously, by unverified posts on X and other platforms.
A section o social media users dismissed the coup talk as “fake news,” terming the storm of online speculation as baseless.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Ivory Coast has made headlines in recent months for the right reasons—boasting an average GDP growth of over 6pc annually and becoming a key regional hub.
A coup—real or rumored—puts that progress at risk.
And this isn’t unfamiliar territory. The country’s painful history with contested elections and violent conflict still lingers. The 2010 post-election crisis led to a civil war and over 3,000 deaths, scarring the nation and setting a cautionary precedent.
Fast-forward to today, and with another election looming in October 2025, political tensions are already high. Add in a volatile region still reeling from recent coups in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, and it’s easy to see why these rumors, even if false, carry weight.
ECOWAS is closely watching. The withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from the bloc after their own military takeovers has weakened West Africa’s collective stability. A confirmed coup in Côte d’Ivoire would further strain efforts to keep democracy intact in the region.
For now, there’s more noise than clarity. But one thing is certain—Ivory Coast is under the microscope. Until the government breaks its silence or credible evidence surfaces, this remains a story caught between digital misinformation and a real-world political tinderbox.
Eyes remain glued to Abidjan.
