Pascal Affi N'Guessan (born 1 January 1953) is an Ivorian politician who served as Prime Minister of Ivory Coast from 2000 to 2003. The leader of the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), he previously served as Minister of Economy, Industry and Finance from 1999 to 2000.

Biography

N'Guessan was born in Bouadikro in the sub-prefecture of Bongouanou. In 1986, he joined the FPI. He was Mayor of Bongouanou from 1990 to 1996

Following the overthrow of the Gbagbo regime in April 2011 by forces loyal to Alassane Ouattara backed by French and UN forces, N'Guessan was arrested and held at a detention centre in Bouna, north-east Ivory Coast.

On 8 August 2015, N'Guessan was designated as the FPI's presidential candidate for the October 2015 presidential election. He denounced the incarceration of Gbagbo by the International Criminal Court and political conditions under Ouattara: "Peace isn't only the silence of weapons. Can we say that Ivory Coast is in peace when President Gbagbo is in The Hague? With hundreds of political prisoners in jail, Ivory Coast is not in peace." Some hardliners in the FPI did not want to participate in elections as long as Gbagbo remained imprisoned, but others felt the party needed to remain engaged in the electoral process.

In the December 2016 parliamentary election, N'Guessan was elected to the National Assembly as an FPI candidate in Bongouanou Department, receiving 59% of the vote.

He was arrested during the night of 6 to 7 November, shortly after the 2020 Ivorian presidential election. He was allegedly arrested for forming a rival government to that of President Alassane Ouattara.

In October 2021, N'Guessan announced his candidacy for the 2025 presidential election.

In November 2024, Pascal Affi N'Guessan was re-elected as president of the Ivorian Popular Front with 99% of the vote.

References

  • Official website