Henriette Diabaté

“He's an open-minded man. He judges people based on their skills. He has the necessary qualities, experience, and openness. After traveling to so many countries and seeing what's happening there, he's a treasure that shouldn't be overlooked.”

“I'm sad because I think our women no longer have the courage. They took over when our men were in prison. They acted exactly like the men. My mother was one of the 4,000 marchers in Grand-Bassam. They were angry because their children, husbands, and brothers were in prison. That's a woman's vocation: to defend society. A woman who divides is no longer credible. Because she gives life, she must always bring people together.”

“Yes, because verbal excess always degenerates into physical violence. At the root of violence are often intellectuals, leaders, those who write or speak, and who lead others, the "followers," with their murderous phrases, into poisonous and dangerous situations. The phrase by Victor Hugo that I placed at the top illustrates this idea well. Insult, this poverty of spirit, and denigration, which is a convenience, are both a weapon of the weak.”

“Yes, why not? I wish and hope so. I don't know if I'll ever experience that moment. But it's in the natural order of things in a healthy and balanced society”

“Yes, absolutely. While the circumstances may be more solemn when I speak as Grand Chancellor, I am no different, and the message I want to convey to my audiences, and through them, to all Ivorians, is always the same. Speaking to activists, addressing decoration recipients, and speaking at state ceremonies—for me, it's always an opportunity to repeat, in different ways, this same idea: only peace can collectively move us forward.”