The political party of former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo has announced the establishment of a body to combat electoral fraud ahead of regional and municipal elections scheduled for later this year, and the presidential election in 2023.

The new body, called Safe (Anti-Electoral Fraud Sentinels), aims to monitor and detect any irregularities in the electoral process and report them to the authorities.

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The head of the new initiative, Habiba Touré, a lawyer and former chief of staff of Mr. Gbagbo, announced the creation of the body in Abidjan on Friday, stating that “electoral fraud has become so commonplace that it appears to some to be a normal mode of operation”.

According to Touré, “elections in Africa and in particular here, in Côte d’Ivoire, are often synonymous with tension, crisis, and even war”.

She emphasized that the Safe initiative is not intended to replace the Independent Electoral Commission, but to work in cooperation with the Commission and other relevant authorities to ensure free and fair elections in Côte d’Ivoire.

Laurent Gbagbo, who lost the 2010 presidential election to current President Alassane Ouattara, and the results of which he contested, also spoke at the event.

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He referred to the violence that occurred during that election, including the mistreatment of voters and supporters by Ouattara’s supporters. The post-election crisis resulted in around 3,000 deaths.

The establishment of Safe comes amid concerns over electoral fraud and violence in Côte d’Ivoire. The country has a history of political unrest and violence related to elections.

The creation of the anti-electoral fraud body is a step towards ensuring that the upcoming elections are free, fair, and peaceful.