United States Embassy (Abidjan)
25 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.
Reports in today's Ivorian press said that at least 10 people were injured when soldiers took to the streets of Duekoue in western Cote d'Ivoire on Monday after robbers killed one of their comrades. The general political atmosphere and the upcoming presidential elections in this West African country are the other top issues in the dailies.
1. Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party): A prominent headline on the front page of the paper said: "The army ran berserk in Duekoue and Guiglo yesterday." The paper also reported that a "score of people were seriously injured." Citing unnamed sources, the paper reported that the movement occurred following the killing of a soldier by "armed people in military uniform."
2. "Following the killing of one of their comrades by robbers, soldiers took to the streets in Duekoue and demanded the suspension of the military governor," said a report in Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily). According to the paper, the town of Duekoue woke up yesterday amidst shootings into the air after soldiers discovered that thieves had killed a soldier in his home overnight. "Angry soldiers moved around on pickup trucks, motorbikes and foot, firing their weapons." The paper quoted one of the disgruntled soldiers as saying: "There is no more security in this town [Duekoue] since we have been cantoned. Our comrade Akpa Akpess has just been gruesomely killed last night in his home. He was ill and was granted sick leave. This is the second time soldiers turned victims of banditry. A few days ago, another comrade was killed."
3. Speaking on the situation prevailing in Duekoue after the regroupement of ex-combatants, the military governor of the town, Colonel Guie Globo, who was quoted by Fraternite Matin, said: "I'm a soldier and I'm just applying instructions from the military hierarchy. Our town has no special status. We are also involved in the implementation of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement. That is the reason why we regrouped our soldiers as was done elsewhere in the country."
4. In a related development, L'intelligent d'Abidjan (a privately-owned daily) quoted the leader of the Forces of Resistance in Grand West (FRGO) - a militia group operating in western Cote d'Ivoire - as saying that "My followers are a time bomb." According to the paper, FRGO's leader Maho Gloflehi is unhappy with the way his militiamen are being treated as part of the demobilization and reinsertion program for ex-combatants. Maho Gloflehi was reportedly claiming that "the government has not fully met its promises to pay allowances to the militiamen as an incentive to encourage them to hand over their guns and to accept their reinsertion."
5. In a different story, L'intelligent d'Abidjan hinted that the UN is to come out with "new measures" aimed at ensuring the security of three Ivorian political figures including Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, former President Henri Konan Bedie and leader of the opposition RDR party Alassane Dramane Ouattara. According to the paper, the decision was taken after the UN announced it was downgrading the threat rating to its staff working in Cote d'Ivoire due to progress in the country's peace process.
6. Regarding the ongoing political process in Cote d'Ivoire, Fraternite Matin quoted President Laurent Gbagbo as saying: "Let's go to elections to help Cote d'Ivoire be resurrected." Gbagbo was speaking over the weekend during a rally organized in the central region of Cote d'Ivoire in celebration of Easter. Gbagbo reportedly told traditional chiefs: "Don't be afraid anymore. The war is over. Today, I am negotiating with people to encourage them to hold the elections quickly."
7. While Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) reported that Gbagbo's visit to the central region had triggered "a general mobilization," Le Jour Plus (a daily close to the opposition) believed that "Gbagbo was campaigning ahead of the upcoming presidential elections."
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