The chief of staff of Ivory Coast's army has ordered the suspension of five officials tasked with combating cocoa smuggling in the west of the country; 50.000-75.000 tons are estimated to have been trafficked over the western border in the current harvest

The Djidji Ayokwe, a prized 'talking drum', will be returned to Ivory Coast, after it was taken from the Ebrie tribe by French troops in 1916; once used to send warnings and messages, it was among 148 cultural items requested for repatriation in 2018

As tensions rise ahead of October polls, with many fearing election violence as seen in 2011, thousands of supporters of banned opposition candidate Tidjane Thiam have marched on the offices of the Ivory Coast electoral commission

Heavy rainfall provoked a nighttime landslide in the Abidjan city area, with casualties and damage to houses; despite efforts at all levels, dangers posed by unregulated development and extreme weather in urban centres are still high