Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire – As Ivorians head to the polls on Saturday, with their 83-year-old incumbent president seeking a fourth term, young people in the country spoke to RFI about the frustrations of living in a country with a healthy economy but a lack of opportunities.
President Alassane Ouattara has been in power since 2011, having changed the constitution in 2016 to remove presidential term limits.
While the former International Monetary Fund economist has been credited with keeping Côte d'Ivoire prosperous during his time in office, and the country's economy is the healthiest in West Africa, its wealth is still held in the hands of the few.
Businessman and former trade minister Jean-Louis Billon, 60, is seen as Ouattara's main opponent, following the disqualification of political powerhouses Laurent Gbagbo and Tidjane Thiam.
"We believe Jean-Louis Billon will provide jobs for young people here, for us in Côte d’Ivoire," one young man told RFI at a rally in support of Billon in the country's economic capital, Abidjan.
"Right now, as young people, we want to work so we can feed our families.”
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Youth unemployment
Around 40 percent of Côte d'Ivoire's 38 million citizens are under 15, 75 percent under 35, and youth unemployment is one of the main issues at stake in these elections.
Billon's promise of more jobs has drawn in many young voters.
His supporters also see him as an agent of change, and his election as a chance for healthy political alternance.
"We would like a little change," one supporter told RFI at the Abidjan rally.
"Honestly, we recognise that the current president has done the best he could for us. Anyone who says that Ouattara hasn't worked [would] be [speaking] in bad faith. Because he's done everything: infrastructure, schools, universities. Currently, everything is good, everything is fine. But we would like a little change, to appease the hearts of other politicians.”
'Peace, not politics'
Flavio Cunha is a 21-year-old economics student at Félix Houphouët-Boigny University, in Abidjan, who is worried about his future prospects, in a country where opportunities could be plentiful.
"I wouldn't say that I feel hopeful, it's kind of complicated," he told RFI.
"The job opportunities are really super limited. So you have to be super competitive in the job market, because we have a lot of new graduates and experienced graduates on the job market. You don't get jobs easily."
He believes politics can get in the way of progress in the country.
"African politics make things worse because of our leaders, especially here. The politics that they're applying doesn't actually suit us. We feel a little bit worried about what's going to happen [with the election], because of the way that the politicians speak and the way they do politics. It doesn't make us [feel] secure about our future."
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Flavio remembers the country's civil war of 2010-2011 and doesn't want a repeat of this.
"I do have memories, lots of difficult memories, a lot of bad things. I lived in Adjamé at the time [in Abidjan]. I was seven. I saw a lot of dead bodies on the streets, that was horrible."
He added: "We just need peace, that's it. That's why we young people are not that into politics. Because in Cote d'Ivoire, in Africa, politics means war – fighting and stuff. We don't have democratic politics in Cote d'Ivoire. That's unfortunate, as that's super important."
Flavio says he would like to go abroad to set up a business after his degree, and wok in English.
Silenced voices
Many in Abidjan say that life remains hard for the average Ivorian.
Although the city's economy is booming and infrastructures are growing, with the first urban train currently under construction along with flyovers which have radically improved traffic, some say they still cannot get better jobs.
"I don't want to be a taxi driver here in Abidjan, away from my family," one young driver told RFI. "I hope we can have a president that creates good jobs for young people like us."
Another criticised the lack of political alternatives. "Thiam and Gbagbo should have been able to run," they told RFI. "And it is a shame that a president can change the constitution to prolong his mandate, and that he can ban any form of opposition's protest."
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Excluded candidates have called on their supporters to protest, but such demonstrations have been banned by the authorities.
This has caused justifiable anger and risks voter apathy or even a boycott of the election, says Hyacinthe Bley, a historian at Félix Houphouët-Boigny University.
"The authorities should let them express their anger, or else they will think that the current government just uses all means for repression to their advantage," he told RFI. "That cannot be good for a peaceful election."
Seeking stability
After holding a rally in the centre of the country, Ouattara returned to Abidjan to host two further rallies at the city's main stadium in Le Plateau, a business district in which skyscrapers loom over the laguna.
One of these was dedicated to young people – many of whom recognise his economic achievements for the country.
"After President Houphouet-Boigny, only President Ouattara has worked, practically speaking. So, people realise that he is the one able to move the country forward," one supporter told RFI.
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Pascal Kobena said he based his support for the current president on the future of his children.
"Ouattara does everything so the country can move forward in terms of development, in terms of peace, and to guarantee the security of Ivorians, property and the people who live here," he told RFI.
Referring to the civil war, some say they have bitter memories of how political divisions brought only violence and a divided society and that they are not willing to risk peace for the sake of politicians' careers.
They see Ouattara as the solution for stability, among them the groups of "ADO girls" and "Mums for Ouattara" at the stadium rallies.
"We don't change a team that wins!" one woman told RFI.
Some 8.7 million people are eligible to vote in Saturday's first round. Most political observers expect Ouattara to be reelected on the straight of this first ballot, without a second round.
