Ivory Coast’s incumbent leader Ouattara is sworn in for a fourth term

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Ivory Coast’s incumbent President Alassane Ouattara was sworn in on Monday for a fourth term after taking over 89% of the vote in an October election marked by low turnout and unrest.

“This vote is a choice for stability, peace, and development,” Ouattara said, after his government excluded main opposition figures from the election. Violence around the vote killed at least 11 people, and over 1,650 people were arrested, according to official figures.

“We are not in the business of telling people how to run their country,” Jacob Helberg, U.S. assistant secretary of state for economic affairs, told The Associated Press a day before the inauguration, adding that “ultimately, we think the Ivory Coast is a politically stable place that is growing quickly.”

Eleven African presidents also attended Monday’s ceremony in the West African nation.

Ouattara first came to power after winning a disputed election in 2010 against his predecessor, Laurent Gbagbo. Ouattara oversaw a referendum that changed the constitution in 2016, and in 2020 he said the amended constitution reset his time in office to zero, which his opponents rejected.

Supporters have credited Ouattara with restoring the economy in the world’s largest cocoa producer, while critics have accused him of tightening his grip on power.