Ivory Coast rejects Guillaume Soro's arrest warrant

Ivory Coast has rejected an international arrest warrant for speaker of parliament Guillaume Soro and called for the dispute to be resolved through diplomatic channels.

Burkina Faso officially served notice to the Ouatarra government.

“The Republic of Côte d’Ivoire has received through Interpol-Ivory Coast an international arrest warrant, transmitted by Interpol-Burkina Faso against Guillaume Soro Kigbafori, President of the National Assembly of Cote d’Ivoire,” a statement from the Ivorian presidency stated.

Abidjan said it was “surprised that this document which seeks the President of the Second Institution…was issued in disregard of the rules and customs and traditions in this area”.

The Ivorian presidency promises to “settle this issue through diplomatic channels in accordance with the agreements that bind us to avoid any dispute between the two States.”

The Ivorian speaker of parliament is wanted by the Burkinabe authorities for his alleged involvement in the September coup in Ouagadougou.

A leaked phone conversation is reported to have implicated him. The “Affaire Soro-Bassole” as it is called, is a leaked phone conversation between Burkina Faso’s former foreign Minister, Djibril Bassole and Guillaume Soro.

In the conversation, the voices alleged to be that of the two men are heard plotting the coup carried out by the presidential guards loyal to ousted Blaise Compaore. Soro has said it was a “set-up”.

Djibril Bassole was arrested at his home on September 29 and was subsequently charged with “high treason”.