Tensions are mounting in Côte d’Ivoire ahead of the October presidential election as the opposition party, African Peoples’ Party–Côte d’Ivoire (PPA-CI), accuses the government of orchestrating the “arbitrary arrest” of six of its members. The party, linked to ex-President Laurent Gbagbo, claims the men were abducted overnight following recent unrest in Youpougon, where violent clashes saw a bus torched and police officers targeted. Authorities countered that a suspect has confessed to a recent bus attack, allegedly acting on the party’s orders. The PPA-CI denies any involvement in the unrest. With key opposition figures, including Gbagbo and Tidjane Thiam, barred from running, President Alassane Ouattara appears poised for a fourth term, stoking concerns of a return to the political unrest that marred past elections.
AP
