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In Côte d’Ivoire, a sign of the still tense political climate, the government extended the ordinance banning demonstrations on public roads until 30 November. If the meeting on November 11 between Alassane Ouattara and Henri Konan Bedié made it possible to lower tensions slightly, nothing has been resolved. Many opposition leaders are still being detained and their parties in particular are demanding their release before continuing the dialogue.
as reported from Abidjan, Pierre Pinto
Of the twenty PDCI officials arrested on November 3 at the home of Henri Konan Bédié, five are still behind bars. This is the case with party number 2 and deputy Maurice Kakou Guikahué and two senators, Bassy Koffi Bernard and Sery Bi N’guessan. The spokesman for the parliamentary group in the Senate, Jean Baptiste Pany, demands that they be released: “These arrests were made in clear violation of the articles of the Constitution and the rules of the Senate which establish the parliamentary immunity of senators. The PDCI-RDA parliament’s group in the Senate demands the immediate release of the senators who are members of the PDCI-RDA parliament’s group, he explained on Tuesday.
Henri Konan Bédié’s Chief of Staff, Narcisse N’dri, and Culture Secretary Valérie Yapo are also still behind bars.
PDCI is not just asking for it to be released. On Tuesday, the former head of state promised to work for the release of all political prisoners, citing Pascal Affi N’guessan, the sororities Felicien Sekongo, Alain Lobognon or Anne Marie Bonnifon or the activist Pulcherie Gbalet, jailed for three months and presented to a judge. on Wednesday.
■ Amnesty International condemns the arrests
In a statement, the human rights organization Amnesty International condemned the arrest of dozens of members of civil society and opposition parties in recent weeks in Côte d’Ivoire and called for their release.
It is not a crime to demand a demonstration or to take part in a demonstration
Samira Daoud, Head of West and Central Africa at Amnesty
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