Côte d'Ivoire/ Journalists and opinion leaders trained to combat misinformation and violent extremism during the election period in Korhogo

Some twenty local players from Korhogo, Karakoro and Bondoukou, including journalists, influencers, women and young opinion leaders, benefited from a capacity-building workshop on combating disinformation and preventing violent extremism, from May 02 to 03, 2025 in Korhogo.

Organized by the NGO "Opinion éclairée", with the support of Nickol Global Solution (NGS) and the U.S. Embassy in Côte d'Ivoire, the workshop is part of a project entitled "Campaign against misinformation and the threat of violent extremism during election periods". campaign to combat misinformation and the threat of violent extremism during the election period ".

In a tense electoral context marked by strong political polarization and the proliferation of fake news on social networks, the project aims to raise awareness and train community relays on the risks associated with disinformation and extremist discourse, particularly in sensitive areas such as Korhogo, Karakoro and Bondoukou.

Led by two experts, namely Ms. Laure Nesmon, a journalist specialized in media education, and Ms. Clémence Odjohou, a consultant-trainer on violent extremism, the sessions focused on the risks of misinformation and extremist discourse, particularly in sensitive areas such as Korhogo, Karakoro and Bondoukou.violent extremism, the sessions focused on the impact of misinformation during election periods, community resilience techniques, and strategies for preventing extremism.

"The challenge is to create local warning relays capable of detecting and countering misinformation that could compromise the social climate before, during and after elections", explained Delorès Pie, project coordinator.

As part of the training, participants drew up an action plan and laid the foundations for vigilance and community resilience networks, a mechanism designed to report malicious content and promote peaceful communication in their respective localities.

This production is part of the StARS project (Positive Stories to Strengthen Resilience and Stability), funded by the US State Department and implemented by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.State Department and implemented by the American NGO NGS (Nickol Global Solutions), in partnership with the NGO "Opinion éclairée".

Source: www.aip.ci/