The political movement ADCI has voiced strong condemnation following the unexpected prevention of its president, Assalé Tiémoko Antoine, from departing Côte d’Ivoire. On May 11, 2026, Mr. Tiémoko was denied boarding a flight destined for Canada. In a formal statement, the party expressed its profound dismay at this unannounced restriction, characterizing the incident as an act of political “humiliation” and demanding a clear explanation for this measure, which it deems a violation of fundamental citizen rights and personal dignity.
On the specified Monday, May 11, 2026, Assalé Tiémoko Antoine, who presides over the political organization Aujourd’hui et Demain la Côte d’Ivoire (ADCI), encountered an unforeseen obstacle to his international travel. He had been preparing to embark on a political outreach and mobilization tour across North America when authorities stopped him from leaving for Canada. This event is particularly puzzling given that on Thursday, April 23, 2026, Assistant Prosecutor Abou Sherif had explicitly informed Mr. Tiémoko that his prior police custody was lifted, thereby reinstating his full freedom of movement. After a brief period of recovery, the ADCI President had resumed his public duties, having been discharged from the hospital on Saturday, April 25, 2026.
Remarkably, since April 22, 2026, neither Mr. Tiémoko nor his legal counsel had received any official notification of new restrictive measures, such as an indictment or judicial supervision, that would limit his ability to travel. The planned North American tour itself was not a secret; it had been publicly announced during a seminar in Nantes in March 2026, with the aim of establishing ADCI’s presence among the Ivorian diaspora. The itinerary for this significant political trip was set from May 12 to May 26, 2026, with his return to Abidjan scheduled for May 27.
At Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport in Abidjan, President Assalé Tiémoko Antoine successfully completed all necessary outbound immigration and security procedures without encountering any issues or being informed of a travel prohibition. However, approximately twenty minutes before the scheduled boarding of his flight, a police officer approached him and requested that he accompany him to the airport commissioner’s office.
At the commissioner’s office, Mr. Tiémoko was informed that the Public Prosecutor had issued an instruction stating he “cannot travel” and must inform the prosecutor before attempting any flight. Despite repeated attempts to contact the prosecutor, all efforts proved unsuccessful. He remained at the police facilities until his scheduled flight departed at 9:10 PM, after which he was permitted to return to his residence.
The ADCI’s official stance
The political movement ADCI expresses its deep astonishment that, since April 22, 2026, the Public Prosecutor failed to communicate any restrictive measures to its president or his lawyers. This lack of formal notification, culminating in the airport incident, creates the impression of a deliberate
