The most recent heads of state and government, including a dozen from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), are expected at the inauguration ceremony of Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara scheduled for Monday at the presidential palace in Abidjan, APA learned friday from official source .

According to a statement from the Ivorian presidency, more than 300 guests including heads of state and government, heads of diplomatic mission and representatives of international institutions will be present at this solemn swearing-in ceremony of Mr. Ouattara.

Among the expected heads of state, we can mention among others, Patrice Talon (Benin), Roch Marc Kaboré (Burkina Faso), Denis Sassou N'Guesso (Congo), Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia), Nana Akuffo-Addo (Ghana), Umaro Cissoco Embalo (Guinea-Bissau), Georges Weah (Liberia), Bah N'Daw (Mali), Mohamed Ould El-Ghazouani (Mauritania), Issoufou Mahamadou (Niger), Macky Sall (Senegal) and Faure Gnassingbé (Togo).

In addition, the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, also the current Chairman of the African Union, will be represented by his Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, and the France, by his Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, the Chairperson of the Commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), Abdallah Boureima, as well as the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Africa the West and the Sahel, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, are also expected.

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara was re-elected for a new term after the first round of the Ivorian presidential election on 31st October last with 94.27% of the vote against 1.99% for his opponent, the independent candidate Kouadio Konan Bertin known as KKB. This election, which was boycotted by the Ivorian opposition, recorded a turnout of 53.90%.