Ivory Coast rejects Africa court order on elections

Ivory Coast will not recognise Tuesday’s ruling by the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights that allowed former Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro to run in next month’s elections.

Government spokesperson Sidi Tiémoko Touré said the authorities will only recognise a decision by the country’s constitutional court which barred Mr Soro from the elections because of a previous conviction.

The constitutional court also barred former President, Laurent Gbagbo, from the elections on similar grounds.

Ivory Coast withdrew from the African court’s charter in April.

Mr Touré said that people should “avoid thinking that the way institutions function must come from outside”.

There have been protests over President Alassane Ouattara’s decision to run for a third term after his preferred successor died in July.