Ivory Coast Hit by Mass Protests
Noriko Watanabe, Kanako Mita, and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Widespread protests have erupted in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast, in response to policies seen as consolidating power under President Alassane Ouattara.
Tensions escalated after the electoral commission—widely viewed as acting under Ouattara’s influence—disqualified the top four opposition figures from participating in the upcoming October presidential election. Among those barred are former president Laurent Gbagbo and prominent opposition leader Tidjane Thiam. Their exclusion has sparked outrage, prompting thousands of their supporters to take to the streets in protest.
Demonstrators marched through Abidjan holding banners that read, “We are millions saying YES to Gbagbo and Thiam” and “Enough is enough!”
President Ouattara has defended his decision to seek another term, stating that his continued leadership is necessary to “preserve national stability amid ongoing security and economic challenges.”
In July, Thiam condemned Ouattara’s re-election bid, calling it unconstitutional. “Today’s announcement by Mr. Ouattara constitutes a violation of our Constitution and a new attack on democracy,” he said.
Thiam added, “The Ivorian people will continue to make their voices heard and show the world what we think of this situation.”
The BBC reports, “Current tension over the exclusion of opposition candidates evokes memories of past electoral violence, including the 2010-2011 conflict that left over 3,000 dead and the unrest triggered by Ouattara’s controversial third-term bid in 2020.”
Civil society groups, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, and other organizations in Ivory Coast have voiced growing concern over increasing political polarization and President Ouattara’s continued concentration of power.
AP News reports, “Ouattara has been in power since 2011 and is currently serving his third term. Despite Ivory Coast having a two-term limit for presidents, he argues it doesn’t apply to him due to a constitutional referendum passed in 2016.”
The people of Ivory Coast aspire to be governed through democratic principles—not through the manipulation of power via state institutions. President Ouattara’s continued concentration of power is deepening national divisions and eroding political freedoms.
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