United States Embassy (Abidjan)
27 December 2007
press release
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. The uprising of the "Dozo," Soro's traditional combatants, still dominates the press today. The press also reports rumors of a coup d'état.
2. L'Inter (an independent daily): The paper runs a banner headline reading, "After the uprising in Bouake Soro opts for firmness; here are measures taken; Konaté Sidiki: we will not come out of the process underway." According to the paper the chief of staff of the New Forces had made a statement in which he outlines some measures he has taken against the misbehavior of some elements. He announced the reinforcement of security measures to protect people and a permanent surveillance of the main entrances to Bouake to guarantee free circulation of people during the last days of the year.
The paper also reports that after the recurrent uprisings in the New Forces Zones, great pressure is put on Compaoré, Gbagbo and Soro as the winning trio of the Ouagadougou Agreement. According to the paper, nine months after the accord, actors in the direct dialogue are going through several ordeals like recurrent uprisings of Soro Guillaume's soldiers, the attack on Soro's plane last June and the many strikes in the South against Gbagbo's regime. These events might impede the normal implementation of the political agreement.
3. In Nuit & Jour (an independent daily): The paper carries a front-page story saying: "Soro is facing his responsibilities: the military authority is flouted; money is the bone of contention." According to the paper, the situation is still confused in Bouaké. The harmony between troops and their commanders, military chiefs themselves and the political wing of the ex-rebellion is seriously undermined. To come out of this situation, all eyes are turned now towards Prime Minister Soro Guillaume.
4. In L'Intelligent d'Abidjan (an independent daily): A front page story says: "The New Forces accuse: the PDCI is preparing a coup d'état." According to the paper, the New Forces published yesterday on their website an interview with a member of the PDCI who warned that a coup d'état is being prepared against the Republic. That anonymous member of the PDCI is quoted as saying: "I am warning you because the life of your secretary general Soro Guillaume is in danger. PDCI is against the peace process. Despite the declaration of Bedie to coax you, he is not frank with you. An assassination plan against Soro and the overthrow of the state institutions are in view."
The paper also reports that the traditional hunters (Dozos) who uprose three days ago decided to reoccupy the main entrances of Bouake and see what they would do in case they don't get satisfaction after their meeting with Soro yesterday. It is today that everything will be decided.
5. "Soro defuses his bomb: each soldier will receive 115,000 CFA per month; Who will pay the note and until when?" is the question posed by Le Nouveau Réveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI. According to the paper three days after their uprising in Bouake, 14 traditional hunters came to Abidjan to meet Soro. During the meeting Soro promised to pay to soldiers and traditional hunters the sum of CFA 115,000 per month.
The paper's question is: Let's suppose there are 1,000 dozos and they receive 115,000 CFA each per month, the total amount per month will be 115 million CFA. Where will the money come from? From the New Forces funds or from the south -- in other words from the tax payers? The paper also says that agreement will pose another problem. What will be the reaction of the other soldiers of the New Forces whose boss has capitulated to the dozos? Won't they increase the auction and take to the streets again?
The paper also reports that 119 soldiers of the New Forces received their salary yesterday in the presence of the general coordinator of Demobilization and Reinsertion. Concerning the payment of five year's of salary to New Forces soldiers General Phillippe Mangou, the Chief of Staff of the National Army, is quoted as saying: "The New Forces soldiers will not received five year's of salary. Only 5,000 soldiers from the New Forces will join the new army if they meet all the criteria. But among them only 622 soldiers will receive a three-month salary of 90,000 CFA per month for each soldier.
6. "Stormy meeting at Golf Hotel, Soro threatens to bring to heel dozos rebels" is the front page story in Le Matin d'Abidjan (a daily close to Gbagbo). According to the paper, after the Prime Minister had listened to the Dozos, he told them that what they did is a blackmail that he cannot accept. The Ouagadougou Agreement took into account the traditional hunters like the militia groups in the west of the country which will receive a bonus of 90,000 per month. After that Soro did not take any other commitment to pay a special bonus for their participation in the war as claimed. The paper also says that if Soro was so hard with his men, it is because he knows that his men are manipulated by some enemies hidden in the darkness who want his skin.
Concerning the elections, the paper also reports that Joel N'Guessan, the former vice-president of the MFA (one of the political parties that participated in the Marcoussis meeting in France) said that the conditions to have elections have not been met. For him if there is not normalization, elections cannot take place. He is quoted as saying: "It is not elections that bring normalization but rather it the normalization that favours good elections.
7. In Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI) The paper carries a front-page story saying: "As he cannot come back to power through the polls, Bedie calls for insurrection." According to the paper, the president of the youth of PDCI (former ruling party) had a meeting two weeks ago in Dimbokro to set the record straight. For him, the promises of Gbagbo to develop the region during his visit in Dimbokro at the end of November are false. He is quoted as saying: "During the public hearings through the country to deliver identity cards, the only region where people are prevented from having their papers is the native town of Gbagbo where 3,000 Baoule were killed during the war. Who is Gbagbo? He is a homeless small historian who now comes to distribute money to you and you have the feeling that he has succeeded." For the paper, as Bedie will be eliminated by his age at the time of the elections, he hopes that Baoule people will have a burst of energy to react.
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