
Use our pull-down menus to find more stories

web allafrica.com	Enter your search terms	Submit search form
OR subscribers use AllAfrica's premium search engine

Click here to read or make comments on this topic »

Côte d'Ivoire: American Embassy's National Daily Press Review


	Email This Page Print This Page Comment on this article

United States Embassy (Abidjan)

18 December 2007
Posted to the web 18 December 2007

This daily press review is compiled by the Information Section of the Public Affairs Office of the American Embassy in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

1. Today's Ivoirian press is concerned about the disarmament program, which is officially scheduled to begin on December 22.

2. Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition): The paper runs a banner headline reading, "Disarmament on December 22: Army commanders are called for rescue." According to the paper, army commanders from the government defense and security forces, New Forces, as well as military leaders of the peacekeeping troops in Cote d'Ivoire met yesterday to work on the disarmament calendar, particularly the regroupement of the ex-combatants.

3. This regroupement, comments the paper, is "the key" to the disarmament scheme. As efforts are being deployed to speed up the disarmament process, the paper, however, is wary as to whether the program would fully get underway, according to plan. "While the ten sites where soldiers will be sheltered in the southern of the country are operational, this is not the case in the areas formerly under the control of the New Forces," notes the paper.

4. But the commander of the Ivoirian Armed Forces, General Philippe Mangou looked confident as he told Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) that "the regroupement of the ex-combatants will effectively begin on December 22, as recommended by the Supplement Ouagadougou Political Agreements." "For the past two days, we've been working on how to conduct the DDR - disarmament, demobilization and reintegration - program," General Mangou said. Mangou, reports the paper, was speaking after "the second and ultimate meeting," which was held yesterday at the headquarters of the Integrated Command Center.

5. In a separate story, Fraternite Matin also informs readers that the Ivoirian government wants to accelerate the implementation of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement. According to the paper, the government is set to meet next Thursday to sign "a series of decrees referring to the roadmap contained in the Supplement Ouagadougou Political Agreements." These decrees, explains the paper, would essentially focus on the redeployment of the administration throughout the country and the official appointment of the French Group SAGEM, the technical operator that will be charged with conducting the identification program.

6. Meanwhile, Soir Info (a privately-owned daily) suggests that, at this stage of the peace process, Gbagbo and Soro must reassure the national and international community of their willingness to accomplish the peace process. The paper comments that given the delay in the implementation of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement, many observers think that Gbagbo and Soro could use this situation as a pretext "to cling to power."

7. Regarding the upcoming presidential election in Cote d'Ivoire, Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party) carries a prominent item alleging that the ruling FPI party of President Laurent Gbagbo is preparing "fraud." In a related development, Notre Voie (a daily close the ruling FPI party) allegedly accuses the PDCI-RDA party of preparing to stage "violence" during the forthcoming polls.

8. L'inter (a privately-owned daily): A front-page story in the paper says that the army has been deployed in the southern city of Grand-Lahou to beef up security in the town. This measure has been taken after angry demonstrators looted the office of the prefect and burnt down his vehicles, as they went on rampage last Friday to protest against what they called "land misappropriation," reports the paper.

Relevant Links

West Africa
Côte d'Ivoire

9. Finally on economic issues, Fraternite Matin reports that European and American businessmen are to invest more than 1,500 billion Francs CFA to finance the construction of three projects at the San Pedro Authority Port, in south-eastern Cote d'Ivoire. This was announced yesterday when a delegation of foreign investors called on President Gbagbo in Abidjan.


	AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.