Six members of former President Laurent Gbagbo’s party were arrested over the weekend, sparking fears of escalating political repression.
The African People’s Party (PPA) accused authorities of abducting its members overnight and taking them to undisclosed locations.
“A wave of repression is sweeping across our leaders and activists,” said PPA executive president Sebastien Dano Djedje at a Sunday press conference.
Among those detained is a substitute deputy representing a district in the commercial capital, Abidjan, the party confirmed.
With presidential elections scheduled for 25 October, the political climate is increasingly fraught and deeply polarised.
Court rulings have barred key opposition figures—including Gbagbo, former banker Tidjane Thiam, and exiled ex-prime minister Guillaume Soro—from contesting the vote.
The arrests come amid mounting concerns over fairness and transparency, as several opposition activists have also been detained in recent weeks.
President Alassane Ouattara, now 83, declared on Tuesday his intention to seek a fourth term, defying critics who say his candidacy undermines democratic norms.
The PPA called for the immediate release of its members and urged international attention on what it described as a campaign of intimidation.
As Ivory Coast edges closer to the polls, fears are growing that repression and exclusion may ignite unrest and deepen national divisions.
