By Sidi Touré Vice President of Liberal International, Co-President of RenewPAC, former Chief of Staff to the President of the RDR (2006-2011), former Chief of Staff to the President of the Republic (2011-2015), and Minister since 2015. He has supported the Ivorian liberal project for nearly three decades.

At a pivotal moment in our country’s political history, on the eve of the October 2025 presidential election, as Côte d’Ivoire prepares to make a decisive choice for its future, it seemed essential to me to share a personal account of the path taken—of what I experienced, at the heart of the state, alongside President Alassane Ouattara.

I speak here with the humility of a committed man, and the clear-sighted perspective of one who has, for nearly three decades, supported the patient and determined construction of a liberal political project for our country. This account is neither a bystander’s account nor a simple technical assessment. It’s that of a grassroots actor, who has shared from the inside the challenges, the choices, sometimes the doubts, but above all the vision, rigor, and consistency of a governance driven by liberal conviction.

In 2006, President Alassane Ouattara, then President of the RDR, honored me by appointing me Chief of Staff. This marked the beginning of an exceptional human and political adventure, which I continued as Chief of Staff to the President of the Republic from 2011 to 2015, and then as Minister since then. I experienced, from the inside, the daily struggle of a statesman to anchor Côte d’Ivoire in modernity, prosperity, and freedom.

Today, with the benefit of hindsight after fourteen years of liberal governance, I can affirm: this gamble—often criticized, sometimes misunderstood—has paid off.

With Côte d’Ivoire designated the “World Capital of Liberalism” in 2024, and President Ouattara’s leadership establishing itself as a benchmark for liberalism in Africa, the time has come to revisit the foundations, achievements, and prospects of a governance model that has profoundly transformed our nation.

The Historical Foundations: From the RDR (1994) to the RHDP (2018)

To fully understand the scope of this transformation, we must return to the origins of the liberal project in Côte d’Ivoire. Nothing was improvised. This vision was built over time, driven by deep convictions and conscious strategic choices. The foundation of this governance was first established within the Rally of Republicans (RDR), founded in 1994. From its inception, the party had a clear ambition: to make Côte d’Ivoire a modern state, founded on individual freedoms, civic responsibility, and a market economy. Djéni Kobina was one of its main founders and inspirations, but it was Alassane Ouattara, who became the party’s president in 1999, who gave it its full national and international stature.

The RDR quickly distinguished itself through its commitment to a truly African liberalism. A liberalism rooted in our realities, defending individual freedoms, political pluralism, and strict control over the exercise of power to prevent any authoritarian drift. A clear, assertive philosophy that remains relevant today.

In 2005, when the country was deeply fractured by the political and military crisis, an ambitious political alliance was born: the Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP). This historic alliance brought together the major Houphouëtist forces (RDR, PDCI, UDPCI, MFA, UPCI) in a spirit of peace, unity, and national reconstruction.

I had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the birth of this coalition on May 18, 2005. It brought together Ivorian parties sharing the political legacy of President Félix Houphouët-Boigny. Much more than an electoral pact, the RHDP embodies a Houphouëtist right-wing movement, resolutely focused on unity, stability, and development. This alliance has transcended ethnic divisions and the partisan clashes of the past, paving the way for political action focused on inclusive development and lasting peace, serving all Ivorians.

My close relationship with President Ouattara, as Chief of Staff, allowed me to actively participate in the discussions that led to the RHDP’s transformation into a unified party on July 16, 2018. This transformation was not the result of simple electoral calculations. It responded to a historic need: to provide our country with a coherent, structured, and sustainable political instrument capable of effectively promoting liberal ideals and anchoring liberalism not just as an ideological position, but as a genuine public policy. The goal was to move from a temporary coalition to an organized political force, serving a clear, committed social project focused on the general interest.

A Review of Liberal Governance (2011–2025): Growth, Transformation, Social Progress

When President Alassane Ouattara took office come to power in 2011, he inherited a torn country, deeply marked by a decade of political tensions and social divisions. From the first years of his mandate, I witnessed how the Ivorian economy was able to regain its dynamism with rigor, method, and ambition. Very quickly, growth resumed: between 2012 and 2019, it reached an average of 8.2% per year, driven by courageous structural reforms and disciplined economic governance. Even exogenous shocks (the Covid-19 pandemic or the war in Ukraine) did not derail this trajectory. Between 2021 and 2023, growth remains strong, at around 6.5% per year. In 2024, despite an uncertain global economic environment, Côte d’Ivoire will post growth of 7%, confirming the resilience and solidity of the economic model we have built since 2011. The outlook for 2025 remains equally optimistic, with an upward trajectory now consolidated.

This performance inspires the confidence of international investors and rating agencies. Moody’s has assigned us a Ba2 rating, while Fitch Ratings has confirmed our BB- rating with a stable outlook. This positive signal reflects recognition of our macroeconomic stability, prudent fiscal management, and prospects for sustainable growth. A virtuous circle has begun. Today, Côte d’Ivoire becomes the first African country to issue a benchmark Eurobond, thus underscoring its credibility on international markets and its status as an emerging economic model on the continent.

An industrial transformation finally underway

Long dependent on the export of raw materials, Côte d’Ivoire has embarked on a true industrial transformation under the leadership of President Alassane Ouattara. I still remember his statement in 2015, during the inauguration of an agri-food factory: “I urge the private sector to strengthen and diversify its presence to process our cocoa locally into finished products.” Ten years later, the results speak for themselves and exceed our expectations. Today, 40% of our national cocoa production is processed locally, compared to only 25% in 2015. The objective is clearly set: to reach 100% by 2030. With 14 operational factories processing nearly 800,000 tons of cocoa, and three new processing units announced for 2025, Côte d’Ivoire is now positioning itself as a key industrial player in the cocoa and chocolate sector, and no longer simply as a bean exporter.

Smart Privatizations: Responsible Liberalism

True to liberal orthodoxy, the government led by President Ouattara initiated a pragmatic privatization program in 2012, aimed at modernizing the economy, cleaning up public finances, and boosting the efficiency of certain structurally loss-making companies. Twenty years after the first waves of divestments in the 1990s, this process was reactivated and accelerated between 2014 and 2016, with the aim of revitalizing and revitalizing a number of public entities. The government thus partially or fully divested its stakes in several banks, agro-industrial companies, and non-strategic businesses. This policy differs from that pursued in many African countries. Rather than politicizing our state-owned companies, we opted for a management approach based on private sector standards: rigorous governance, performance targets, and demanding results. Today, this deliberate liberal approach is bearing fruit: Ivorian public companies generate substantial dividends for the government while providing quality services to citizens. This is responsible liberalism: a strategic government, a partner of the private sector, refocused on its core missions.

Humanity at the Heart of Our Project

The ultimate goal of any authentic liberal project is human development. This conviction has consistently guided each of President Alassane Ouattara’s decisions. The RHDP’s liberal strategy has resulted in massive investments in essential infrastructure: roads, ports, airports, energy, and digital technology.

The rate of access to electricity, for example, has increased from 77% in 2011 to 97% by 2024, while the number of electrified communities has risen from 2,847 to 8,056 in fifteen years. Progress in the health sector is equally visible: four out of five Ivorians now live within 5 kilometers of a health center, compared to two out of three in 2011.

Security, the primary condition for any sustainable development, has improved dramatically. The national safety index, which stood at 6.8 in 2012, fell to 1.2 in 2024. This level, comparable to that of major global cities, now ranks Côte d’Ivoire among the safest countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Human development indicators clearly reflect this transformation. The Human Development Index (HDI) rose from 0.468 in 2011 to 0.582 in 2023, an increase of 25%. This increase places Côte d’Ivoire third in the ECOWAS region, with a jump from 162nd to 157th out of 193 countries. Moreover, Côte d’Ivoire recorded the strongest HDI growth in sub-Saharan Africa over the period 2022–2023, with an increase of +0.017, and is among the top 5 in the world for the best progress.

Education has also been made a national priority. The gross enrollment rate for children has soared from 86.60% in 2013 to 99.93% in the 2017–2018 school year. In other words, almost no Ivorian child is now outside the education system. The number of public middle and high schools has tripled, from 294 in 2011 to 902 in 2024. Higher education is not far behind: with the completion of the first phases of the universities of San Pedro and Bondoukou, and the ongoing construction of the university in Odienné, Côte d’Ivoire will go from three universities in 2011 to ten operational universities in 2025.

The health sector has also seen notable progress. According to World Bank data, infant mortality fell from 72 per 1,000 in 2010 to 52 per 1,000 in 2022. Life expectancy at birth, which stood at 55 years in 2010, is now 62 years, with a projected increase to 64.6 years by 2025.

Liberal influence that extends beyond our borders

In 2024, Abidjan was designated World Capital of Liberalism—a strong recognition of Côte d’Ivoire’s progress and leadership in promoting liberal values. That year, our country hosted events of international significance: the 53rd IFLRY Congress, the African Liberal Youth Regional Workshop, the 3rd RenewPAC Summit, as well as several high-level international forums. President Alassane Ouattara’s leadership now extends far beyond our borders. He embodies an African liberalism: pragmatic, inclusive, and deeply rooted in the realities of our continent.

As the RHDP’s representative to international liberal organizations, I have the honor of bringing this vision to the world stage. Through my roles as Executive Vice-President of Liberal International and Co-Chair of RenewPAC (the network of liberal parliamentarians and political leaders from Africa, Europe, the Pacific, and the Caribbean), I strive to contribute, alongside President Ouattara, to strengthening African influence in major global liberal networks. We are also working to create a true synergy between African liberal parliamentarians, capable of spearheading major continental projects, such as the free movement of people and goods, the harmonization of regulatory frameworks, and the modernization of African democratic institutions.

Because yes, liberal Africa has its place in the community of nations. It has its ideas, its solutions, its legitimacy. And it is now being listened to.

2025: A Challenge Beyond Us All

The results of fourteen years of liberal governance under President Alassane Ouattara, in which I had the honor of participating, demonstrate a profound, lasting, and exemplary transformation of Côte d’Ivoire. The facts are there: average growth exceeding 7%, a steadily improving Human Development Index, modernized infrastructure, a thoroughly reformed education system, and strong international recognition.

President Ouattara embodies a concrete, rigorous, and effective liberal commitment, which has successfully reconciled economic performance, social progress, and political stability. The RHDP’s liberalism is not an empty slogan: it is a governing doctrine, a transformation strategy, a choice of civilization. It has enabled our country to emerge from fragility to become a model of stability, dynamism, and performance on the continent.

The stakes of the October 2025 election go beyond a simple political changeover. It represents a choice of direction, a moment of truth for the future. It is about preserving, consolidating, and expanding the liberal heritage that today makes Côte d’Ivoire a beacon of development in West Africa.

As this deadline approaches, the choice is clear: continue the trajectory of a liberalism that has proven its worth, or risk a step backward that would compromise the achievements of these fourteen years of transformation.

Côte d’Ivoire deserves better than uncertainty. It deserves continuity in excellence and liberal innovation. So does Africa.

That is why I express here, with responsibility and conviction, my full, resolute, and committed support for President Alassane Ouattara’s candidacy in the October 2025 presidential election.