Is Côte d’Ivoire facing religious radicalism?

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the risks of religious radicalism in Côte d’Ivoire, focusing on Pentecostal Christian movements, various currents of Islam, and the Lebanese Shiite community's links to Hezbollah. While concluding that radicalism has not yet reached the scale seen elsewhere in the region, the document identifies several political, socio-economic, and regulatory vulnerabilities that could facilitate future radicalisation.

• Pentecostalism significantly influenced the political landscape and the hardline stance of former President Laurent Gbagbo's regime during the 2010-11 post-election crisis. Pastors and 'prophets' provided spiritual legitimacy to Gbagbo's power, with some prophecies galvanising supporters to seek a military solution to the crisis.
• Ivorian Islam is diverse, primarily consisting of a 'traditionalist' Maliki branch and a purist, fundamentalist Wahhabi (or Salafi) current. While Wahhabism has historically caused tensions with traditionalists—including disputes over prayer methods in the 1950s and 1970s—it has largely avoided violent radicalism in Côte d’Ivoire, relying instead on arguments to promote its vision.
• The Lebanese diaspora in Côte d’Ivoire is one of the largest in the world, with an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 people, over 80% of whom are Shiite. This community holds significant economic power, controlling over 50% of the economy through nearly 4,000 companies and contributing approximately 15% of the country's tax revenues.
• There are strong emotional and financial links between the Lebanese Shiite community in Côte d’Ivoire and Hezbollah. While most Lebanese in the country view Hezbollah as a legitimate national resistance movement rather than a terrorist group and pose no direct threat to Ivorian national security, some young men have expressed willingness to travel to Lebanon to fight the Israeli army.
• Côte d’Ivoire faces several risk factors for religious radicalisation, including a weakened state presence in the north and west, an outdated regulatory framework for religious associations (Law No. 60-315 of 1960), and socio-economic marginalisation and poverty among certain populations.
• The country's geopolitical position and involvement in the crisis in Mali increase its vulnerability to imported jihadist ideologies. The freedom of movement within the region and threats from jihadist groups against countries intervening in Mali are noted as specific risk factors.

APA

Assanvo, W. (2015). Is Côte d’Ivoire facing religious radicalism? Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/WestAfricaReport13ENG.pdf

Chicago

Assanvo, William. Is Côte d’Ivoire facing religious radicalism? Institute for Security Studies, 2015. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/WestAfricaReport13ENG.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Assanvo |first1=William |title=Is Côte d’Ivoire facing religious radicalism? |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=July 2015 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/WestAfricaReport13ENG.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{assanvo2015cte, author = {Assanvo, William}, title = {{Is Côte d’Ivoire facing religious radicalism?}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2015}, month = jul, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/WestAfricaReport13ENG.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }