occasional-paper-247-bc64ea3755b8e1fb.pdf

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) analyzes the revival of Côte d’Ivoire’s regional diplomacy under President Alassane Ouattara. After a period of decline following the death of Félix Houphouët-Boigny in 1993 and subsequent civil crises, the country is seeking to regain its status as a leading political and economic actor in West Africa through a policy of 'good neighbourliness' and strategic engagement with regional organizations and global powers.

• Since the election of President Alassane Ouattara in 2011, Côte d’Ivoire has transitioned from being a passive 'object' of international diplomacy to a stable regional actor, focusing on 'good neighbourliness' to foster stability and economic prosperity through dialogue.
• Côte d’Ivoire maintains a dominant economic position within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), accounting for approximately 30% of the zone's GDP and 60% of its exports, which grants it significant influence over the union's direction and the selection of the Central Bank of West African States governor.
• The country's diplomatic infrastructure is being expanded and modernized, including the opening of 15 new embassies (with four in Africa: Benin, Botswana, Kenya, and Mauritius) and the planned establishment of the Diplomatic Institute of Côte d’Ivoire through a partnership with Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales.
• Côte d’Ivoire has re-established its leadership in ECOWAS, evidenced by President Ouattara's chairmanship from 2012 to 2014, during which the organization increased its number of commissioners to 15, adopted a common external tariff, and progressed the Lagos–Abidjan motorway project.
• Bilateral relations with immediate neighbors are generally characterized by interdependence and appeasement, though specific disputes persist, such as a maritime border conflict with Ghana over the Jubilee Oil Field and territorial tensions with Guinea over the village of Kpéaba.
• Côte d’Ivoire maintains strategic, collegial relations with other major powers, including Nigeria (the de facto leader of the anglophone sphere) and South Africa, with whom it signed a bilateral joint co-operation commission agreement on 4 December 2015.
• The country continues to align closely with France and the US, while diversifying economic partnerships with China, which is its third largest exporter of goods.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). occasional-paper-247-bc64ea3755b8e1fb.pdf. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Occasional-Paper-247.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. occasional-paper-247-bc64ea3755b8e1fb.pdf. n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Occasional-Paper-247.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=occasional-paper-247-bc64ea3755b8e1fb.pdf |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Occasional-Paper-247.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndoccasionalpaper247bc64ea3755b8e1fbpdf, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{occasional-paper-247-bc64ea3755b8e1fb.pdf}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Occasional-Paper-247.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }