LAGOS, Nigeria — The decision of Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara to run for a fourth term risks a return to a past era of “old guard dictator rule,” an analyst warned on Wednesday.

Analysts warn Ouattara’s run for a fourth term in Ivory Coast signals a return to authoritarian rule, mirroring democratic backsliding across West Africa.

ABIDJAN (Reuters) -Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara's decision to seek re-election in October means the world's top cocoa-producing nation will again have to wait on his promise to pass the baton to a new generation of political leaders.