A delicate peace/ Ivory Coast’s economy is booming, but its politics look wobbly: An election next year risks pushing the country back into conflict

Its economy, which is forecast to expand by more than 7% this year and next, is among the fastest growing in Africa. Its efforts to cut red tape and make it easier to start a company or get loans have won praise from private firms and multilateral institutions, such as the IMF and World Bank—which has bumped it up by 25 places on its “ease of doing business” index since 2015. On September 23rd Standard Chartered, a bank, ranked it top of its list of 20 countries that have the most potential to trade.

Much of the credit for this economic boom goes to Alassane Ouattara, a former economist who has been president since 2011.

During his term the government has sold stakes in state-owned companies and invested in new roads and other infrastructure. But economic reform has not been matched by political change, prompting worries ahead of a presidential election next year that the country may slip back into conflict. A disputed election in 2010 led to a dreadful year-long civil war.

Read more on...https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2019/09/26/ivory-coasts...