Prosecutors in Côte d’Ivoire don carry 11 people—some from former president Laurent Gbagbo’s African Peoples’ Party (PPA-CI)—go court, accusing them of terrorist offences linked to violent unrest earlier this month.
According to Prosecutor Oumar Braman Kone, the trouble started on the night of August 1 when a public bus was set ablaze and a police vehicle attacked in an Abidjan suburb by “a horde of hooded individuals” armed with machetes, clubs, firearms, and petrol bombs.
Big political names enter the picture
The investigation reportedly traced the chaos to high-profile figures. Nine suspects—several tied to PPA-CI—were arrested, and during interrogation, they allegedly pointed fingers at former defence minister Lida Kouassi Moise and retired ambassador Kone Boubakar. Both men are now in custody.
Terrorism, conspiracy, and more on the charge sheet
Prosecutor Kone claims the suspects planned to spread fear and destabilise the country after President Alassane Ouattara announced his fourth-term bid. They now face charges ranging from “terrorist acts” to “participation in an insurrection” and “arson of another person’s vehicle.”
Opposition shouts foul play
The PPA-CI says this is nothing but intimidation, describing the arrests as “judicial and political harassment.” But the prosecutor insists the case is purely legal, not political.
Election fever hitting boiling point
With the October 25 presidential poll less than three months away, the atmosphere is already tense. Several opposition leaders, including Gbagbo, have been banned from contesting. Last Saturday, thousands took to the streets of Yopougon—the same place where the violence broke out—demanding Ouattara drop his re-election bid and that barred opposition figures be reinstated on the ballot.
