The Ivory Coast government’s blanket bans on public protests ahead of the country’s October 2025 presidential election raise serious concerns about civic freedoms.
Development Diaries reports that the National Security Council had earlier this month announced that all ‘necessary measures’ would be taken to maintain order and security during electioneering, including banning any meeting and public protest to challenge the Constitutional Council’s decisions.
According to a report by Amnesty International, following this announcement, the Prefect of Abidjan banned a peaceful rally organised by the opposition for 04 October and another one planned for 11 October.
These actions directly undermine citizens’ constitutional and international rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and political participation.
They are repressive actions that signal a troubling attempt to stifle dissent and shrink civic space during a crucial electoral period.
Under both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to which the Ivory Coast is a state party, every individual has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.
These instruments clearly state that restrictions on such rights must be lawful, necessary, and proportionate.
Therefore, blanket prohibitions like those currently being enforced are unfair and violate international human rights obligations.
Instead of guaranteeing citizens’ ability to express opinions freely, the government’s approach has caused fear and intimidation, particularly among opposition supporters and young people seeking democratic change.
The arrests of more than 250 protesters, including those peacefully attempting to gather in Abidjan and Dabou, further illustrate the heavy-handed tactics being deployed to silence opposing voices.
Actions like the use of tear gas, mass detentions without disclosed charges, and the temporary siege of opposition leader Pascal Affi N’Guessan’s home point to a pattern of political intimidation that violates the right to liberty and security of persons as protected under Article nine of the ICCPR.
They also contravene the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights’ Guidelines on Freedom of Association and Assembly, which require authorities to facilitate rather than suppress public demonstrations.
The Ivorian government must immediately halt its crackdown on peaceful assemblies and release all those detained solely for exercising their rights.
Also, the Ivorian authorities should engage in meaningful dialogue with opposition groups and ensure that security operations during the election period are guided by international human rights standards.
Photo source: AFP/Getty Images
