Thousands of Ivorians have protested in Abidjan against the exclusion of opposition leaders from the upcoming presidential election.

Thousands rally in Abidjan urging fair elections after Laurent Gbagbo and Tidjane Thiam are barred from Ivory Coast’s October presidential vote.

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One of Ivory Coast’s main opposition parties has denounced what it says are arbitrary arrests of six party members.

Last month, 83-year-old president Alassane Ouattara announced that he would stand for a fourth term in Ivory Coast's elections set for October. The announcement has drawn ire from voters, who have watched as key opposition candidates were barred from the elections in the run-up to Ouattara's bid.

Ivory Coast opposition parties staged protests across the West African nation on Saturday to demand that their leaders be allowed to take part in presidential elections scheduled for October.