According to sources, former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo’s political party, the African People’s Party (PPA), announced on Sunday that six of its members were arrested in an alleged wave of repression. The party, through its executive president Sebastien Dano Djedje, described the arrests as “kidnapping” of its activists and leaders.
The arrests are unfolding against a backdrop of escalating political tensions in Ivory Coast, which is currently preparing for presidential elections scheduled for October.
These tensions are amplified by court rulings that have barred key opposition figures, including Gbagbo, former banker Tidjane Thiam, and exiled ex-prime minister Guillaume Soro, from contesting the election.
The PPA is calling for the immediate and unconditional release of its six members, including one who serves as a substitute deputy in the economic capital of Abidjan.
These arrests have drawn scrutiny of the country’s justice system, with critics suggesting a deliberate effort to silence opposition voices ahead of the highly contested polls.
This political climate has been further charged by President Alassane Ouattara’s recent announcement that he intends to seek a fourth term in office.
Ouattara’s decision comes despite prior indications that he would step down, and it follows a constitutional change he enacted in 2016 which reset his term limits.
The combination of Ouattara’s fourth-term bid and the exclusion of his main rivals from the electoral process raises concerns about the state of democracy in the West African nation.