Laissons Parler Les Gens: The viral podcast tackling hate speech ahead of Ivory Coast's 2025 election
As Ivory Coast prepares for its October 2025 presidential election, a new digital media initiative is gaining traction in the fight against online hate speech and misinformation.
Launched in collaboration with the European Commission, the Laissons Parler Les Gens (LPLG) podcast—translated as Let People Speak—uses a mix of stand-up comedy and podcasting to address sensitive political issues and promote peaceful dialogue.
The podcast has become particularly popular among young Ivorians, with its videos reaching hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok in the early months of its campaign.
In a country where nearly half of the 30 million citizens are under the age of 18, creators say they are leveraging humour to educate and engage voters in a relatable way.
President Alassane Ouattara, who has been in office since 2011, won a controversial third term in 2020 with 94% of the vote.
It remains unclear whether Ouattara will contest the October 25 presidential race. In both the 2015 and 2020 elections, he secured more than 80% of the votes.
Four key opposition figures have been barred from participating by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI). These include Tidjane Thiam, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI); former President Laurent Gbagbo and his ally Charles Blé Goudé, who faced charges of crimes against humanity related to the civil war; and former Prime Minister and rebel leader Guillaume Soro.
However, political figures, including Simone Gbagbo, former first lady and wife of Laurent Gbagbo, and Pascal Affi N'Guessan, a former prime minister, remain eligible to run.
Unlike the 2020 presidential election, which featured a revision of the electoral list in June before polling day, CEI head Ibrahime Kuibiert Coulibaly has stated that no such revision will take place ahead of the upcoming vote.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
