At least 237 people were arrested on Saturday in Côte d'Ivoire during a protest, according to a statement by the Minister of the Interior and Security on national television.

Côte d'Ivoire, a nation of 32 million and the largest economy in Francophone West Africa, is due to hold a presidential election in two weeks.

Earlier this year, four main opposition figures, including former President Laurent Gbagbo and former Credit Suisse chief executive Tidjane Thiam, were barred from running by the electoral commission.

Fourth term bid

Côte d'Ivoire's President Alassane Ouattara, who has been in power since 2010, announced his intention to run for a fourth term earlier this year following a 2016 constitutional change that removed the presidential term limit.

The day before the protest, the prefect of Abidjan declared that all marches in the capital on Saturday were illegal because of the need to maintain order during the election period.

“All these people will be held accountable for their actions,” General Vagondo Diomandė, the Minister of the Interior and Security said, reiterating that the protest was illegal.

Ouattara justified his decision to run again by saying that Côte d'Ivoire is facing unprecedented security, economic and monetary challenges that require experience to manage them effectively.