IVORY COAST’S opposition African People’s Party-Cote d’Ivoire (PPA-CI) has condemned the “arbitrary arrests” of six party members, part of what it says is a crackdown by President Alassane Ouattara on potential rivals.

PPA-CI executive president Sebastien Dano Djedje says the party members were “abducted and taken to unknown locations” over the weekend.

Interior Minister Vagondo Diomande said the arrests were linked to an incident in Youpougon, a suburb of the capital Abdijan, where attackers set fire to a bus and assaulted police. He released a video showing a man saying he was a PPA-CI member confessing to the attack, though the opposition party has condemned it.

President Ouattare, who is seeking a fourth term, has had rivals including PPA-CI leader Laurent Gbabgo — himself a former president — and former Prudential and Credit Suisse banker Tidjane Thiam barred from running.

The crackdown on opposition has been linked to fears for Ivory Coast’s continued status as a US and French ally, which is resented by much of the population.

The country borders Burkina Faso and Mali, two of three west African countries undergoing anti-imperialist revolutions following military takeovers. Relations with Burkina Faso are fraught, with its government accusing Ivory Coast of murdering a Burkinabe activist, Alain Traore, late last month.

The activist, who shares a surname with Burkina Faso President Ibrahim Traore, had advocated a similar revolution in Ivory Coast and had over 400,000 online followers. He had been jailed on espionage charges and his death was officially attributed to suicide.

Burkina Faso has also accused Ivory Coast of involvement in an assassination attempt against Ibrahim Traore.