Thousands Protest in Ivory Coast Against Exclusion of Opposition Leaders in Upcoming Presidential Election

Thousands of Ivorians protested in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast, against the exclusion of opposition leaders from the upcoming presidential election. The protesters, who gathered in Yopougon, held banners with messages such as "Enough is enough!" and "No true democracy without true justice." The opposition leaders, including former President Laurent Gbagbo and former Credit Suisse chief executive Tidjane Thiam, have been barred from running by the electoral commission. Thiam, who is seen as Ouattara's main rival, has been barred from running on the grounds that he was still a French citizen at the time he declared his candidacy, even though he later renounced his French nationality. Elections in Ivory Coast have usually been fraught with tension and violence.

Key Takeaways:

• The opposition leaders, including former President Laurent Gbagbo and former Credit Suisse chief executive Tidjane Thiam, have been barred from running by the electoral commission.
• Thiam, who is seen as Ouattara's main rival, has been barred from running on the grounds that he was still a French citizen at the time he declared his candidacy, even though he later renounced his French nationality.
• Elections in Ivory Coast have usually been fraught with tension and violence.
• Incumbent President Alassane Ouattara has announced that he will seek a fourth term despite the country's law banning presidents from serving more than two terms.
• Ouattara's candidacy is contested after he changed the constitution in 2016 to remove presidential term limits.
• The protest in Abidjan was aimed at calling for the revision of the electoral roll and the inclusion of all candidates' names in the election.
• The protest was part of a growing number of demonstrations against electoral manipulation and constitutional changes in West Africa.
• Ouattara is surrounded by controversy after his bid for a third term resulted in several deaths, and his decision to run for a fourth term has been met with opposition.
• The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been split by the controversy over Ouattara's term limit change and other issues.

Statistics:

• 83-year-old President Alassane Ouattara has announced that he will seek a fourth term.
• The opposition leaders, including Gbagbo and Thiam, have been barred from running by the electoral commission.
• Four main opposition figures, including Gbagbo and Thiam, have been barred from running by the electoral commission.
• The demonstrations in Abidjan were part of a growing number of protests in West Africa against electoral manipulation and constitutional changes.
• Over 7,000 people have been killed in electoral violence in Ivory Coast since 2010.

Sources:

• Voice of Nigeria, August 10, 2025
• Various news outlets reporting on the protests in Abidjan.