Abidjan, Ivory Coast — Authorities in Ivory Coast have charged 11 people — including prominent members of former president Laurent Gbagbo’s African Peoples’ Party (PPA-CI) — with alleged “terrorist” offences tied to violent unrest earlier this month.
Prosecutor Oumar Braman Koné said the charges stem from incidents on the night of August 1, when a public transport bus was torched and a police car attacked in an Abidjan suburb. According to his statement, the assailants were “a horde of hooded individuals holding machetes, clubs, firearms, and incendiary cocktails.”
Arrests and High-Profile Accusations
An investigation led to the arrest of nine suspects, several linked to the PPA-CI. During questioning, the suspects reportedly named Lida Kouassi Moïse, a former defence minister, and Koné Boubakar, a retired ambassador, as the alleged masterminds of the violence. Both men were taken into custody over the weekend.
The prosecutor said the group’s actions were aimed at spreading “terror” and destabilising the country after President Alassane Ouattara’s controversial announcement that he would seek a fourth term in the October 25 presidential election.
Charges Filed
The 11 accused face multiple counts, including:
- Terrorist acts
- Conspiracy against state authority
- Participation in an insurrection
- Wilful damage to a vehicle
- Arson of a vehicle belonging to others
Koné stressed the arrests were not politically motivated, despite the high-profile nature of those implicated.
Opposition Pushback
The PPA-CI, however, has denounced the move as “an operation of intimidation and repression” and accused authorities of engaging in “judicial and political harassment.”
The party maintains it had no role in the attacks, calling the allegations part of a broader crackdown on dissent.
Rising Political Tensions
The West African nation is in a volatile political moment, with tensions running high less than three months before the vote. Court rulings have barred several opposition figures — including Gbagbo himself — from running.
On Saturday, thousands of opposition supporters marched peacefully through Yopougon, the same Abidjan suburb where the August 1 violence occurred, protesting Ouattara’s candidacy and demanding that barred candidates be reinstated to the electoral roll.
The unrest and subsequent arrests mark the latest flashpoint in a heated pre-election season, raising concerns over whether the country can avoid the political violence that marred past polls.
