Abidjan, Ivory Coast: Authorities in Ivory Coast have detained a senior aide to opposition leader Laurent Gbagbo, accused of calling for an uprising before the October 25 presidential elections.

The prosecutor, Oumar Braman Kone, stated that Damana Pickass was apprehended near Abidjan on Tuesday.

As the chief coordinator of the Common Front—a coalition consisting of two main opposition parties led by Gbagbo and former Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam—Pickass is believed to have played a significant role in organizing protests against the exclusion of their candidates from the elections.

Both Gbagbo and Thiam were barred from standing for the presidential polls, which saw President Alassane Ouattara secure his fourth term in office, a position he holds in the world's leading cocoa producer.

The Front called for demonstrations prior to the election to denounce the government’s decision to ban political rallies.

Despite these bans, another protest is scheduled for this Saturday.

Kone alleged that certain political figures, including Pickass, had incited a popular uprising and threatened national security with calls for regime change.

Gbagbo's party has condemned the arrest as an 'ongoing persecution of the opposition,' emphasizing that Pickass was being hunted down by authorities.

The elections were generally peaceful but did witness some acts of violence, which is common in Ivorian political contests.

According to official reports, at least 11 individuals lost their lives during pre-election demonstrations and on polling day.

In contrast, the opposition claims a higher death toll of 27 people.

Furthermore, over 100 individuals have been sentenced to three-year prison terms for participating in these demonstrations, according to their legal representatives.