Ivory Coast Arrests Opposition Figure Over Election Unrest

By Staff, Agencies

Authorities in Ivory Coast have arrested Damana Pickass, a senior aide to opposition leader Laurent Gbagbo, on charges of inciting unrest ahead of the country’s recent presidential election, Prosecutor Oumar Braman Kone announced on Wednesday.

Pickass, who serves as chief coordinator of the Common Front, a coalition uniting Gbagbo’s party and that of former Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam, was detained near Abidjan on Tuesday, according to the prosecutor.

Kone said opposition figures, including Pickass, had “called for a popular uprising and the overthrow of the Republic’s institutions,” actions that allegedly sparked violence threatening national security.

In a November 4 communiqué, the Prosecutor’s Office claimed these calls led to the emergence of armed and unarmed groups, resulting in killings, arson, extortion, property destruction, and obstruction of the vote.

Authorities vowed that all perpetrators and sponsors would face prosecution under Ivorian law.

The Common Front had organized multiple protests before the October 25 presidential election, denouncing the exclusion of both Gbagbo and Thiam from the ballot.

Despite a government ban on demonstrations by boycotting parties, the coalition has announced another rally for Saturday.