In Côte d’Ivoire, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão, met opposition leaders in Abidjan over the weekend.

He held talks with former president Laurent Gbagbo and former prime minister Pascal Affi N’Guessan, both of whose presidential candidacies were rejected by the Constitutional Council.

The opposition leaders insist that inclusive elections are vital, while voicing strong criticism of President Alassane Ouattara’s controversial bid for a fourth term.