With Côte d'Ivoire's presidential election looming just days away, the political atmosphere in the West African nation has reached a fever pitch. Tensions boiled over on October 11, 2025, as security forces cracked down on opposition protests in Abidjan, the country’s economic capital, just as incumbent President Alassane Ouattara launched his re-election campaign in the central city of Daloa. The events of that day, and the days that followed, have become a flashpoint for a nation still haunted by memories of past electoral violence and struggling to forge a path toward stability and democratic inclusion.
According to reports from BBC and Le Monde, the roots of the current unrest lie in the controversial exclusion of two of the country's most prominent opposition leaders—Laurent Gbagbo, former president and leader of the African People's Party (PPA-CI), and Tidjane Thiam, head of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI). Both were declared ineligible to contest the October 25, 2025, presidential election: Thiam for legal reasons, Gbagbo due to a prior legal conviction. Their exclusion has left many Ivorian voters feeling disenfranchised, prompting the two main opposition parties to unite under the Common Front coalition and call for daily nationwide protests in the run-up to the election.
The authorities, however, were quick to clamp down. On October 10, the Abidjan prefecture issued a sweeping ban on demonstrations, citing the need to maintain public order. Despite this, opposition supporters flooded the streets of Cocody’s Saint-Jean and Blockhaus neighborhoods at dawn the next day, determined to make their voices heard. Security forces, deployed in large numbers since the day before, responded with volleys of tear gas and aggressive crowd dispersal tactics. Protesters and bystanders alike were arrested without distinction, according to eyewitnesses and local journalists.
“The gas entered the houses, we couldn’t breathe,” a resident of Blockhaus told Le Monde. “I have a 4-year-old son; the gas got into his mouth and eyes. He nearly choked. I was terrified.” The crackdown was not limited to protesters; journalists covering the event reported being assaulted, having their equipment confiscated, or being forced to delete their footage, as documented by BBC and Le Monde.
The government’s response was swift and unapologetic. Interior Minister statements described the protesters as “irresponsible,” and authorities reported that 237 people were arrested in connection with the banned march. While officials claimed there were no casualties, several people were reportedly injured during the dispersal, and the heavy-handed tactics drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders. They accused the government of repression and vowed not to be intimidated, reiterating demands for political dialogue and fair participation in the upcoming vote.
“We will not be intimidated,” opposition figures declared, as quoted by BBC. “We demand open political dialogue and the right to participate fairly in the October 25 vote.” The opposition’s call for daily protests is a direct response to what they view as the government’s ongoing efforts to sideline credible challengers and stifle dissent.
Authorities, for their part, have defended the protest ban as a necessary measure to maintain order, especially given Côte d'Ivoire’s fraught recent history. The specter of the 2020 election looms large: that year, similar unrest claimed 85 lives and left more than 500 people injured. The government’s messaging has been clear—public gatherings that could escalate into violence will not be tolerated, even if that means curtailing the right to protest.
Against this backdrop of political tension and public unrest, President Alassane Ouattara, now 83, kicked off his re-election campaign in Daloa on October 11. Supporters braved heavy rain to greet him, waving flags and chanting slogans as he called for unity and stability. “We must come together as a nation,” Ouattara urged, according to BBC. “Only through unity can we secure a peaceful and prosperous future for Côte d'Ivoire.”
Ouattara’s campaign launch was as much a show of strength as it was a plea for calm. The president, who first took power after the violent aftermath of the 2010 election and the capture of then-president Laurent Gbagbo, is seeking a fourth term. He faces a field of lesser-known candidates, after the Constitutional Court’s decision to exclude both Gbagbo and Thiam from the race. The court’s ruling has been fiercely contested by the opposition, who argue it undermines the legitimacy of the election and narrows the field to the government’s advantage.
Yet, in a twist that has added another layer of intrigue to the race, former First Lady Simone Gbagbo was unexpectedly cleared as one of five candidates to contest the October 25 election. Simone, who was once a powerful political figure alongside her husband, now finds herself running against President Ouattara in a dramatically altered political landscape. Her candidacy has energized some segments of the opposition, even as questions swirl about the fairness of the process that excluded other major figures.
Meanwhile, the Common Front coalition continues to rally its supporters, despite the risks. The coalition’s determination to keep the pressure on the government reflects a broader frustration with what many see as a lack of genuine political competition and a closing of democratic space. The government’s hardline approach, including the use of force against demonstrators and journalists, has drawn criticism from international observers and human rights advocates, who warn that suppressing dissent could backfire and further destabilize the country.
Côte d'Ivoire’s political landscape remains deeply polarized, with memories of past violence never far from the surface. The events of October 11 are a stark reminder of how fragile the peace remains, even as the country prepares to choose its next leader. The coming days will be a test not just of the government’s ability to maintain order, but of its willingness to allow space for dissent and dialogue.
As the nation heads toward the October 25 polls, the stakes could hardly be higher. Will the authorities’ efforts to enforce stability succeed in preventing violence, or will the opposition’s calls for daily protests ignite a new round of unrest? For now, Ivorians are watching and waiting, hoping that this election will not repeat the tragedies of the past, but instead mark a step forward on the road to reconciliation and democracy.