Ramadan 2025: First Lady Dominique Ouattara lends her support to the Muslim community

First Lady Dominique Ouattara showed her support and solidarity with the Muslim community on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, on Thursday March 13, 2025, at her office in Cocody. The First Lady offered food and non-food donations worth 130 million FCFA to the Muslim community. The donations are intended for associations, NGOs and mosques throughout the country.
The ceremony witnessed the presence of General Vagondo Diomandé, Minister of the Interior and Security, Mrs. Myss Belmonde Dogo, Minister of Solidarity and the Fight against Poverty, and Mr. Drissa Koné, Special Advisor to the President of the Republic, in charge of Religious Affairs, as well as religious leaders from the Muslim community, led by Cheick Aïma Ousmane Diakité, President of COSIM.
The donations include 3,000 bags of rice, 2,000 bags of sugar, 2,000 cartons of oil cans, 4,000 sachets of pasta, 600 cartons of tomato paste, 600 cartons of milk and 800 prayer mats.

In her speech, Mrs Ouattara expressed her gratitude to the Muslim associations and NGOs present, as well as to the women involved in this solidarity initiative. The First Lady emphasized that the donation was intended to bring comfort and relief to vulnerable families during the month of fasting and prayer. She also stressed the importance of unity and fraternity, recalling that, as in previous years, Ramadan match with Christian Lent, offering a fine opportunity to strengthen social cohesion. “As it has been the case in recent years, Ramadan and Christian Lent coincide once again this year, calling on Muslim and Catholic religious communities to work together in a spirit of fraternity, cohesion and peace.

It is therefore an opportunity to draw closer together, while respecting our respective beliefs and religions”, Mrs Dominique Ouattara said. The wife of the Head of State concluded by wishing that this month of fasting and penitence would be a source of blessing for the Muslim community. “In this holy month of mercy and sharing, I express the wish that every Muslim receives a special blessing,” declared the First Lady.

General Diomandé Vagondo, Minister of the Interior and Security, recalled that the month of Ramadan happens again this year with Christian Lent. For him, this month is doubly holy, and will enable the various communities to pray for peace and social cohesion. The Minister of the Interior and Security also thanked the First Lady for her spirit of solidarity during the Muslim month of fasting. In his view, these donations demonstrate her humanitarian commitment to the underprivileged.