A gendarme has been shot dead while on patrol in southern Ivory Coast, deepening tensions just days before the country heads to the polls in a highly contentious presidential election.
Authorities have not identified the attackers, but the incident occurred in a region known as an opposition stronghold and the scene of recent unrest. Protests erupted after leading opposition figures Laurent Gbagbo and Tidjane Thiam were barred from contesting in Saturday’s vote a move that has further polarized the West African nation.
The government of President Alassane Ouattara, who is seeking an unprecedented fourth term, has since banned all public demonstrations in an attempt to curb escalating unrest. Despite the ban, campaign rallies for the remaining opposition contenders Simone Gbagbo, Ahoua Don Mello, Jean-Louis Billon, and Henriette Lagou have proceeded without interference.
Ouattara, 83, first took power in 2011 following a disputed election that plunged Ivory Coast into months of violence. His administration has since overseen significant infrastructure expansion, but critics say the economic benefits have not been evenly shared, citing rising inequality and soaring living costs.
Opponents have also accused the president of maintaining close ties with France, Ivory Coast’s former colonial power, sparking renewed debate about the country’s political independence.
Security has been tightened nationwide as authorities brace for potential violence during and after Saturday’s vote, which many observers say could be the country’s most divisive in over a decade.
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