Ivory Coast presidential candidate faces life imprisonment over alleged coup plot

A former rebel leader in Ivory Coast, Guillaume Soro, and a candidate in next year’s presidential election, could face life in prison.

This is over an alleged coup plot that involved amassing weapons.

The Ivorian authorities issued an arrest warrant for Soro on Monday, prompting him to call off a planned homecoming after months overseas.

The warrant is likely to increase tensions ahead of an October 2020 election that is seen as a test of Ivory Coast’s stability after two civil wars since the turn of the century.