Ivorian police on Friday thwarted a march in Abidjan by women opposed to President Alassane Ouattara’s bid for a third term in October’s presidential election.
Several of the demonstrators were arrested a stone’s throw from the Ivorian broadcasting (RTI) in the east of the country’s economic capital.
Earlier in the day, the Ivorian defense and security forces secured the area around the Cocody town hotel (East of Abidjan), the place from which the protest march towards the Electoral Commission’s office at II-Plateaux was planned to begin.
Some demonstrators who showed defiance against the security forces were arrested by the police.
On Wednesday the Ivorian government decided to suspend public protests, only authorizing gatherings in closed premises until September 15, 2020.
“Drawing the consequences of the human and material losses during the latest political demonstrations in the country and the risks of opening pockets of community conflicts, the Council decided to suspend public demonstrations,” government spokesman, Sidi Toure told reporters.
Despite this measure suspending such demonstrations, women from the opposition, including Odette Lorougnon, a former member of the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI, Gbagbo’s party) continued their march against Mr. Ouattara’s third term.
They were also up in arms against the withdrawal of the names of Laurent Gbagbo, Guillaume Soro and Charles Ble Goude from the electoral list.
LB/ls/fss/as/APA