The rhdp’s two-decade ascent to political dominance in Côte d’Ivoire

The making of the RHDP: a political powerhouse

Originally envisioned as the grand assembly for the successors of Félix Houphouët-Boigny, whose political legacy in Côte d’Ivoire was often fractured by internal disagreements, the Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) has undergone a profound transformation. What began as a strategic coalition born from the rapprochement between two former rivals, Alassane Ouattara and Henri Konan Bédié, who united against their common adversary Laurent Gbagbo, the RHDP has completed a remarkable journey. Over approximately two decades, this political force ascended from the ranks of opposition to the very heights of governmental power, firmly establishing itself as the dominant and hegemonic entity in Ivorian political life.