Ivorian civil society activist Pulchérie Édith Gbalet reportedly escaped an attempted abduction on Thursday, October 16, 2025, around 5:00 p.m. In a statement issued the following day, the Coordination Council of Civic Resistance (CCRC) reported that armed, masked men stormed the home of Mr. Sery Abdul, a close associate of Ms. Gbalet, in Abobo Biabou, a neighborhood in northern Abidjan.
According to the CCRC, the attackers, who were allegedly searching for Ms. Gbalet, opened fire and damaged Mr. Sery’s residence before detaining him and his wife, accusing them of hiding the activist. The organisation described the incident as a politically motivated act of intimidation aimed at silencing Ms. Gbalet and her associates.
In a Facebook post on October 17, Pulchérie Gbalet warned that her life was in danger, writing:
“#ALERT! Ouattara’s government wants to have me killed. Unable to find me, heavily armed, masked men stormed my friends’ homes on Thursday evening, ransacked everything, opened fire, and made arrests.”
A prominent civil society leader, Ms. Gbalet has long been an outspoken advocate for human rights and freedom of expression in Côte d’Ivoire. Since the unfortunate incident she stated that she is safe and remains determined to continue her activism, though her whereabouts remain undisclosed for security reasons.
This incident comes amid rising political tension ahead of the October 25, 2025, presidential election, marked by the banning of several opposition rallies and increased security measures in Abidjan.
On October 11, Ms. Gbalet had called for a peaceful demonstration to protest political repression and defend freedom of expression, despite the official ban on public gatherings. So far, no official statement has been issued by the Ivorian authorities regarding the incident.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) expressed deep concern over this attempted act of intimidation. We strongly condemn all forms of violence, harassment, or repression targeting civil society actors, journalists, and human rights defenders in Côte d’Ivoire.
The MFWA calls on Ivorian authorities to ensure the safety of Pulchérie Gbalet as well as that of all citizens exercising their fundamental rights peacefully. It urges all political and security actors to maintain a calm environment that respects public freedoms ahead of the presidential election.
