General
Presidential elections
On 25th October 2025, presidential elections were held in Côte d’Ivoire. While the elections proceeded without major incidents, several civic space violations took place ahead of the elections. Gatherings and demonstrations of opposition members whose candidacies were rejected by the Constitutional Council were banned and hundreds of protesters were arrested
On 27th October 2025, Côte d’Ivoire’s Independent Electoral Commission declared the re-election of incumbent President Ouattara with 89.77 percent of cast votes. Ouattara has been in power since 2010, and his bid for another, fourth term in August 2025 has been subject to controversy as the Constitution has a presidential two-term limit. Ouattara’s supporters claim that the 2016 constitutional revision reset the count, while opponents say his re-election is unconstitutional.
Ahead of the elections, main opposition members were excluded from running. On 8th September 2025, the Constitutional Council declared several opposition leaders ineligible. Tidjane Thiam of the Parti démocratique de la Côte d’Ivoire (Democratic Party of Ivory Coast; PDCI) had already been disqualified by a court in April due to his dual Ivorian-French nationality, and Laurent Gbagbo Parti des peuples africains-Côte d’Ivoire (PPA-CI) was barred due to a 2018 criminal conviction.
Peaceful Assembly
Opposition protests banned, protesters arrested, sentenced to prison sentences
Ahead of the presidential election, protests and gatherings were banned. On 17th October 2025, interministerial decree 0755/MIS/MEMD banned meetings and public demonstrations by political parties and groups in Côte d’Ivoire for a period of two months. Only demonstrations or gatherings of the five presidential candidates were allowed, effectively banning any demonstration of the two largest opposition parties whose leaders were declared ineligible to run.
The Front Commun, uniting opposition parties PDCI of Tidjane Thiam and PPA-CI of Laurent Gbagbo, had been calling to protest against their exclusion from the electoral list and against a fourth term for Ouattara.
Previously, on 10th October 2025, decree 093/PA/CAB banned all protests and meetings in Abidjan. Ahead of an opposition protest planned for 4th October “to demand dialogue for inclusive, transparent, and democratic elections", the National Security Council announced, on 2nd October 2025, that all “necessary measures” would be taken to maintain order and security during the electoral period, including banning any meeting or public gathering to protest the decision by the Constitutional Council.
On 11th October 2025, authorities used tear gas to disperse those attempting to protest. The Front Commun had called people to protest in Cocody, Abidjan. According to authorities, 237 people were arrested that day in Abidjan and 18 in Dobou, 40 km outside Abidjan. Public prosecutor Oumar Braman Koné said on 18th October that around 700 people had been arrested since 11th October 2025. At least one person was killed in protests on 13th October 2025 in Bonoua, southern Côte d’Ivoire.
On 21st October 2025, a court in Abidjan sentenced 32 protesters to three years in prison after the court found them guilty of ‘disturbance to public order’. On 16th October 2025, 24 people in Dabou and 28 people in Abidjan had already been sentenced to three years in prison for ‘disturbance to public order, unlawful assembly and participation in a prohibited march’ in relation to the protests.