United States Embassy (Abidjan)
12 March 2008
This daily press review is compiled by the Information Section of the Public Affairs Office of the American Embassy in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
The elections in Cote d'Ivoire and the trial of Ibrahim Coulibaly, alias IB, the alleged architect of the attempted coups d'etats of 2003 and December 2007 are the front-stories in today's Ivorian dailies.
1. L'Inter (an independent daily)'s front-page story headline said: "On trial for an attempted coup d'etat in 2003, Ibrahim Coulibaly (IB) defends himself from an unknown location in exile." According to the paper, IB said on the French radio (AFP) last Tuesday that he was in Belgium. He also said that he never recruited any mercenaries and that the dossier was empty. He was quoted as saying: "I told my lawyers that I would not go to France, because I don't see the importance of that trial. What they are doing is to prevent me from going to Cote d'Ivoire and be a candidate against Gbagbo for the 2008 presidential election."
The paper also reported that the international community is still hesitating to give funds for the presidential election in Cote d'Ivoire. The paper said the international community wants to make sure that funds given would be appropriately used. Last Monday, after a meeting with the President of Independent Electoral Commission, the French Ambassador, Mr. André Janier stated: "We wanted to be sure that the funds would be well used."
2. "Trial in Paris, why Ibrahim Coulibaly is hiding" was a front-page headline in Soir Info (an independent daily). According to the paper, the absence of the Ivorian army deserter, IB at the trial was due to the fact that he was scared of being arrested as his accomplices have confirmed that they were recruited to overthrow Gbagbo. The paper also said that IB dismissed his trial and denied the recruitment of mercenaries. He is quoted as saying: "I don't know any of them. I have never seen them. They have never called me. Everybody knows who used mercenaries on the field."
Soir Info also reported that the President of the Independent Electoral Commission had a meeting with the international community last Monday. The paper said that following the meeting the head of the Commission announced that the Commission had 10 billion CFA for the election and other funds will also come. The funds will be managed by UNDP, which will provide transparent ballot boxes, kits for the poll stations and ink to the Commission.
3. A headline in Nuit & Jour (an independent daily), reads: "Trial of IB in France, the big comedy; Integrated Center of Command (CCI) invisible in the field at five months to the elections". The paper asked why France, which is among the big countries with the best security systems cannot locate IB. The paper also suggested that the reality is that French Justice wants to get rid of this case, which has become cumbersome.
4. Le Matin d'Abidjan (a daily pro-FPI)'s front-page story was on the "Delay in the disarmament, here are those who manipulate Soro." According to the paper, in accordance with the third supplement of the Ouagadougou Agreement, which is disarmament, it was supposed to have started on December 22, 2007 and should have reached its picked up momentum by now. But getting the ex-combatants assembled still continues. The paper said that Prime Minister Soro is under the pressure from some political leaders like Alassane Ouattara, who wants elections without disarmament so that he would contest the elections if he loses. The paper also said that Ouattara is relying on New Forces' soldiers, who have remained loyal to him to apply the "Kenyan schema" if Gbagbo wins.
On IB's trial, Le Matin d'Abidjan reported that one of his accomplices revealed everything yesterday at the court. According to the paper, Chakoui, one of the accused said: "I admit that I asked Daniel Pohl about arms, because for me the French state was behind the coup and it was legal." However, Daniel Polh retorted saying: "Chakoui told me that he was going to Corse (a French island) to meet a representative of the French state. I even asked him if we kill Gbagbo, who France will want as his replacement. He said it was Sergeant Ibrahim Coulibaly."
5. On the same topic, Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition) said that during the second day of the trial, the lawyers requested the presence of IB at the court. For them, it is the only way to have all the pieces of the puzzle, because for four hours, the accused were just accusing each other.
6. In Le Jour Plus (a daily close to the opposition), reported that Prime Minister Soro and Switzerland Ambassador Dominik Langenbacher signed an agreement yesterday. The paper said the agreement is about a five billion CFA contribution from Switzerland towards the peace process.
7. In Le Nouveau Réveil (a daily close to the former ruling party PDC), the front-page story said: "In a political meeting yesterday in Napié (North), Mady, the Secretary General of PDCI, escaped an assassination." According to the paper, a New Forces' soldier called Soro Lamine, who was armed, was arrested in the crowd. According to information provided to authorities, Lamine was not from that sector. The paper said the population questioned what he was doing there."
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