Tear gas and arrests in Abidjan as opposition defies protest ban

Police in Ivory Coast used tear gas on Saturday to disperse small groups of protesters who had defied a ban on an opposition march in Abidjan.

Police were seen arresting some of the protesters.

The protest, organized by an opposition coalition, was banned by Ivorian authorities on Friday.

Well before sunrise, the area was sealed off by security forces.

Police blocked key roads, set up barricades, and patrolled on foot to deter gatherings.

Despite the heavy deployment, demonstrators managed to gather in pockets.

Police were seen launching tear gas and making arrests.

One woman screamed, “What did I do? What did I do?” as officers attempted to arrest her.

Protester Honoré N’guessan questioned the ban on the march.

Another protester, who spoke briefly before police arrested several journalists and confiscated their cameras, said she came to the march as a supporter of PDCI, the party of banned opposition candidate Tidjane Thiam.

The protest comes amid rising tensions ahead of upcoming elections.

President Alassane Ouattara, who has been in power since 2010, declared in July that he would run for a fourth term.

Presidential elections are set for October 25.

Several opposition figures have been banned from running.

An August march in Abidjan saw thousands of people from different political parties march against Ouattara’s fourth term bid.

Authorities say Saturday’s march was banned to maintain public order.

Despite the crackdown, demonstrators chanted: “We don’t want a fourth mandate!”

Ouattara is the latest among a growing number of leaders in West Africa who remain in power by changing constitutional term limits.

Ouattara justified his decision to run again by saying that the Ivory Coast is facing unprecedented security, economic and monetary challenges that require experience to manage them effectively.

Over the past decade, groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have been spreading from the Sahel region into wealthier West African coastal states, such as Ivory Coast, Togo and Benin.