The political party of Ivory Coast’s former president Laurent Gbagbo has accused the current government of illegal arrests.
The allegations were made on Wednesday following the arrest of a party official and former minister.
Jean Gervais Tcheide, the secretary general of the African People’s Party–Cote d’Ivoire (PPA-CI), claimed President Alassane Ouattara’s administration is using intimidation tactics.
Tcheide stated the government aims to silence any opposition through repression and fear, one year ahead of the 2025 presidential election.
Tcheide described the government as dictatorial, accusing them of orchestrating the abduction of former minister Charles Rodel Dosso. According to him, Dosso was taken from his home by hooded men in front of his family.
Dosso’s lawyer, Huyo Kano Ble, confirmed the arrest, linking it to a recent protest over the high cost of living.
The protest, held in Abidjan on September 13, was banned by authorities, but several dozen people still gathered, resulting in around 30 arrests.
Kano Ble stated that Dosso faces charges of disturbing public order and remains in custody while the investigation continues.
The former minister served under Gbagbo and is now detained in an Abidjan penitentiary center.
Gbagbo and Ouattara have been political rivals for over a decade, dating back to the disputed 2010 election.
Gbagbo, who refused to concede defeat back then, was later acquitted of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court in 2019.
Despite a pardon in 2022, Gbagbo remains ineligible to run in the 2025 election due to a prior judicial conviction for bank looting.
