Some end of year messages by African presidents

Customarily a majority of African heads of state will address the nation on the eve of January 1, an occasion to review the ending year while making projections into the new year.

Ahead of presidential elections in 2020, Ivory Coast president Alassane Ouattara on Tuesday night preached peace, while two opponents denounced the regime’s attacks on democracy in their New Year messages.

“The state will be there to guarantee peace, so dearly won, as well as the security of Ivorians and the stability of Côte d’Ivoire. No one will be able to disrupt this objective an except from his speech.

An already tense political landscape following arrest warrants for Guillaume Soro, the post election crisis 2010 must not be replicated..

Over in Burkina Faso, the thoughts were far from elections as the country was almost always on alert following recurrent Jihadist attacks. President Roch Kaboré assured on Tuesday that “victory” over “terrorism” was “certain” in a televised address to the nation.

“This victory over terrorism will not be achieved only militarily. It must also be won in terms of development,” he said, stressing the “efforts” of the five Sahelian countries allied against jihadist groups.

Another man in a year long romance with socio political instability is President Biya of Cameroon who has had to deal with political opponents from the 2018 presidential elections. A man who has mostly relied on military tactics to ensure domestic peace, reiterated his stance towards the on going Anglophone crisis.

“For those who persist in staying on the wrong track and continue to use violence, we will have no choice but to fight them to protect all our citizens he said.

The outgoing President of Guinea-Bissau José Mario Vaz ended his New Year’s speech on Tuesday in tears, on the eve of the announcement of the winner of the presidential election, calling on the political class to maintain civil peace and restore stability in the West African country .

Mr Umaro Sissoco Embalo was declared as the new president on Wednesday January 1, by the National Electoral Commission.