Thousands of Ivorians took to the streets of Abidjan on Saturday to protest the exclusion of key opposition leaders from the country’s upcoming presidential election.
Ivory Coast, home to 32 million people and the largest economy in francophone West Africa, is set to hold its presidential vote in October.
Earlier this year, the electoral commission barred four prominent opposition figures from running, including former President Laurent Gbagbo and former Credit Suisse chief executive Tidjane Thiam.
Protesters gathered in Yopougon, a densely populated suburb of the capital, carrying banners with slogans such as “Enough is enough!” and “No true democracy without true justice.”
Gbagbo and Thiam had allied earlier this year to challenge incumbent President Alassane Ouattara, who last month announced he would seek a fourth term.
The 83-year-old leader removed presidential term limits through a 2016 constitutional change, and his bid has faced widespread criticism.
READ ALSO: 83-Year-Old Ivory Coast President Ouattara Declares Bid for Fourth Term
One banner in the crowd read, “We are millions saying YES to Gbagbo and Thiam.”
“We don’t want a fourth term, and we want the electoral roll revised,” said activist Sagesse Divine, who joined Saturday’s march. “We want all candidates’ names included, and we want to go to the elections in peace — that’s all we want.”
The Ivorian government did not immediately comment on the protests.
Thiam, now president of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, won his party’s uncontested primary in April.
Considered Ouattara’s chief rival, he was barred from the race because he still held French citizenship when declaring his candidacy, despite later renouncing it.
Ivorian law prohibits dual nationals from running for president.
Presidential contests in Ivory Coast have often been marked by unrest. Violence erupted in 2020 when Ouattara sought a third term, leaving several people dead.
His decision to pursue a fourth term aligns him with a growing number of West African leaders who have extended their rule by amending constitutional limits.
Ouattara has defended his candidacy, citing “unprecedented” security, economic, and monetary challenges that he says require experienced leadership.
In recent years, armed groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State have spread southward from the Sahel into coastal West African states, including Ivory Coast, Togo, and Benin.
Follow the Parallel Facts channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCQSAoHgZWiDjR3Kn2E
