Ivorian government spokesperson Amadou Coulibaly announced on Thursday that former Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, who has been in exile for four years, is free to return to the country.
However, Coulibaly emphasized that the enforcement of Soro’s convictions in Côte d’Ivoire would be determined by the judicial system.
“Côte d’Ivoire is open, and Guillaume Soro can return whenever he wants,” stated Coulibaly after a Cabinet meeting. He clarified that the judicial administration in the country would handle the implementation of the sentences imposed on Soro, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2020 for “complicity in embezzlement of public funds” and later to life imprisonment in 2021 for “endangering the security of the State.”
Coulibaly highlighted President Alassane Ouattara’s efforts to facilitate the return of exiled individuals, noting that many have already come back and even participated in political activities. Guillaume Soro, a former rebel leader and President of the National Assembly, had left Côte d’Ivoire in 2019 following a disagreement with President Ouattara.
Soro, who recently announced his decision to end his exile, has engaged with military figures in Niger and Burkina Faso since his return to Africa. The government’s stance underscores the separation of the decision for Soro’s return from the judicial process determining the execution of his convictions.
