On Sunday, November 23, 2025, the "land chiefs" of the Agboville department formalized their request for integration into the National Chamber of Kings and Traditional Chiefs of Côte d'Ivoire (CNRCT-CI) . This request, presented at the end of a two-day workshop, aims to officially recognize their crucial role in village governance among the Abbey and Krobou peoples.

A two-headed power that must be acknowledged

The core of the argument lies in the recognition of the two -headed village leadership model that prevails in these communities.

“Among the Abbey and Krobou, village leadership is two-headed. There are the Ohochis , who are the administrative village chiefs, and the nanans , who are the traditional chiefs,” explained Nanan Bodou Bodou Clément , president of the land chiefs of the department.

He stressed that the coexistence and combination of the forces of these two entities would give additional weight to the National Chamber, thus ensuring a complete representation of tradition.

Restore authority and partner in land management

Beyond their integration into the CNRCT-CI, the land chiefs formulated other major demands:

1. Restoration of their authority and social prestige.
2. Association for the land management of localities.
3. Strengthening the accountability of village chiefs to land chiefs in daily management.

An appeal supported by the authorities

The initiative of the land chiefs was welcomed by the local authorities, who praised the highlighting of the fundamental role of the "Nanan" (traditional chief).

Pierre Dimba , president of the Agnéby-Tiassa regional council, acknowledged their "crucial" role in perpetuating cultural values. He expressed his support for their recognition, "like that of kings in other regions," and even mentioned the establishment of a committee to monitor the workshop's resolutions. He emphasized the need for harmonious coexistence between land chiefs and village chiefs for peaceful development.

For his part, the prefect of Agboville, Sihindou Coulibaly , assured the village chiefs of the support of the prefectural administration, elected officials, and senior staff, deeming their request "legitimate." He nevertheless warned against any potential opposition from the village chiefs, emphasizing that "there is room for everyone."

The workshop, themed “Harmonization of traditional practices of land chiefs in the department of Agboville” , brought together nearly 200 land chiefs and marked a decisive step in their quest for institutional recognition.