Pro-Soro protests as Ivory Coast 'thwarts' return of ex-Ouattara ally

The news of political aspirant Guillaume Soro’s flight deviation to Ghana did not go well with many Ivorians in Abidjan, who protested about a possible arrest of the leader.

Conflicting reports emerged late on Monday as to why Soro’s plane didn’t land in Ivory Coast as scheduled after the former rebel leader spent more than five months away. Angry supporters received the message to mean their beloved has been or is in line to be arrested.

Bernard Koffi, a pro-Soro activist bemoaned the impact of current ongoings: “Arresting Soro won’t resolve the problem, the crisis in Ivory Coast. On the contrary, it makes the crisis worse, because we don’t know what wrong he is supposed to have done.

“If today they tell us that Guillaume Soro has done wrong and must be arrested, well then all the government and the President should be arrested because they have all done the same thing.”

Ivorian aviation officials insisted that it was Soro himself who requested the diversion.

Soro, a former rebel leader helped President Alassane Ouattara come to power when then-President Laurent Gbagbo refused to step down during the violent 2010-2011 election.

He is seen as a serious political rival to the regime he help put in place especially after his recent declarations to run for the presidency.