Ivory Coast — With just days remaining before the presidential election, authorities in Ivory Coast have enacted one of the most far-reaching restrictions on public dissent in recent memory, imposing a sweeping two-month ban on all political rallies and demonstrations. Announced Friday by the interior and defense ministries, the ban—effective immediately—applies to every political group and civic movement except the five officially registered candidates set to contest the October 25 vote.
The move marks a sharp escalation in the government’s efforts to neutralize mass mobilization. Protesters, already angered by the exclusion of major opposition figures from the race, had staged mass demonstrations across the capital. Security forces used tear gas and forceful crowd dispersal tactics as thousands flooded the streets over the weekend. The unrest has quickly spread to cities beyond Abidjan, including Bouaké and Yamoussoukro, where sporadic village-level blockades and school disruptions have been reported.
Authorities, citing “national security concerns,” have justified the sweeping ban as necessary to prevent planned attacks on public institutions, which prosecutors described as “acts of terrorism.” More than 700 individuals have been detained in recent days. On Thursday, a court sentenced 26 people to three years in prison for alleged public-order offenses, and another 105 individuals are scheduled to stand trial next week.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have condemned the government’s crackdown as an alarming escalation of political repression and a clear intimidation tactic ahead of the election. Amnesty called on authorities to halt the arrests and respect citizens’ constitutional right to peaceful demonstration. However, Justice Minister Sansan Kambile defended the security measures, saying the state must act to “protect democratic order and prevent violence.”
Adding to the political turmoil, prominent opposition figures, such as former president Laurent Gbagbo and ex-Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam, were disqualified from the race in September, ostensibly due to dual-citizenship violations and other technicalities. Critics argue that these expulsions are aimed at clearing the way for President Alassane Ouattara to secure a contested fourth term. Ouattara, who has dominated Ivorian politics since 2010 and presided over a 2016 constitutional revision that removed presidential term limits, insists that his continuation is vital for national stability amid regional threats and ongoing development projects.
Despite Ouattara’s assurances, the opposition coalition—led by Gbagbo’s African Peoples’ Party – Ivory Coast (PPA-CI) and Thiam’s Democratic Party (PDCI)—has lambasted the ban as “an unconstitutional attempt to rig the outcome.” They have called on the international community to pressure the government into reversing course and re-opening political space.
The election atmosphere is further charged by widespread anger over entrenched inequality and a perception of democratic erosion, as voters brace for an election many fear will amount to a symbolic affirmation of Ouattara’s rule rather than a genuine contest. With the specter of violence looming—Ivory Coast has a history of post-election collisions that led to civil conflict in 2010-11—the coming days will test the country’s political resilience and its democratic institutions.
International observers, including the African Union and Economic Community of West African States, are expected to closely monitor the October 25 presidential vote, which will determine whether Ouattara’s fourth term cements an emerging pattern of extended incumbency across West Africa or sparks a renewed push for democratic renewal.
