Violence and arrests over the weekend have deepened political tensions in Côte d'Ivoire, after opposition supporters took to the streets to protest President Alassane Ouattara’s decision to run for a fourth term in October. Several opposition leaders have been barred from the race, and their parties say the arrests are part of a wider crackdown.
The unrest comes as the country prepares for elections on 25 October. Court rulings have excluded several major opposition figures, including former president Laurent Gbagbo of the African People’s Party (PPA-CI) and Tidjane Thiam of the PDCI-RDA.
