Two weeks before the Ivorian presidential election, more than 200 people were arrested in Abidjan on Saturday morning during an opposition demonstration dispersed by tear gas, just as presidential candidate Alassane Ouattara launched his campaign for a fourth term in the center of the country.

The political climate in the country is tense, particularly since the Constitutional Council rejected the presidential candidacies of the main opposition parties in September, including those of former President Laurent Gbagbo (2000-2011) and the leader of the main opposition party, Tidjane Thiam.

Saturday's demonstration had been banned the day before by the Abidjan prefecture, which cited the need to "maintain public order."

The opposition, whose leaders were not seen at the march, maintained its slogan and several groups of demonstrators came out into the Saint-Jean and Blockhauss districts.

They called for democracy and particularly contested Alassane Ouattara's candidacy for a fourth term.

"This morning I came to demonstrate because I'm tired of this country. Its time has come, it just has to leave," said Marie Rolande Gouho Zion, a woman in her forties.

Faced with a heavy deployment of law enforcement in these neighborhoods, they were dispersed several times by tear gas. By midday, 237 people had been arrested, according to Interior Minister Vagondo Diomandé, who reiterated that the demonstration was not authorized.

Journalists present to cover the demonstration were assaulted by the police, who seized professional equipment and deleted images they contained.

Simon Doho, president of Tidjane Thiam's Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire (PDCI) group in the National Assembly, denounced to AFP "arbitrary arrests" and "serious risks to the stability of the nation."

"What we want for our country is democracy, freedom of expression, freedom to vote, participation of all candidates and transparent elections," he said.

Sébastien Dano Djedje, executive secretary of Laurent Gbagbo's African People's Party - Côte d'Ivoire (PPA-CI), spoke of a "peace imposed by arms."

These two opposition leaders said they did not participate in the demonstration, "prevented" by the presence of police and gendarmes.

- President on campaign -

Calm returned in the late afternoon after the protesters dispersed.

"The situation is generally calm across the country," a security source told AFP.

These incidents contrast with the festive atmosphere observed 300 km to the northwest, at the Daloa stadium, the former stronghold of Laurent Gbagbo.

President Alassane Ouattara chose this important city in the cocoa-growing region, of which Ivory Coast is the world's largest producer, to launch his campaign in front of thousands of activists.

Posters, T-shirts, giant balloons, "ADO for a great Ivory Coast," the campaign slogan, were displayed throughout the stadium.

In his speech, the candidate hailed the city of Daloa, "Côte d'Ivoire in miniature."

"I love this Ivory Coast which unites women and men from different communities," he added in front of all the leaders of the Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), the ruling party.

He also recalled his achievements in infrastructure, a strong point of his record since coming to power in 2011, noting for example the construction of a university in this city and announcing the upcoming construction of a highway between Daloa and the capital Yamoussoukro.

"The message is clear: on October 25th we will vote for stability, peace and continuity," Mamadou Touré, the president of the Daloa region, had announced shortly before.

The election campaign, which sees five candidates competing, opened on Friday and will last 14 days.

Four opposition candidates are qualified to challenge Mr. Ouattara: former Minister of Commerce Jean-Louis Billon, a PDCI dissident; two former companions of Laurent Gbagbo who have broken with him, his ex-wife Simone Ehivet Gbagbo and former Minister Ahoua Don Mello; and finally Henriette Lagou, who was already a candidate in 2015.

Several of them were also organizing a meeting this weekend.