United States Embassy (Abidjan)
26 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 visit of an American Congressional Delegation to Cote d'Ivoire; the uprising of soldiers in Guiglo and Duekoue; the meeting of the National Congress of resistance and democracy (CNRD), and the upcoming presidential elections in Cote d'Ivoire are today's front-page stories in today's Ivorian dailies.
1. Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) reported that President Laurent Gbagbo met an American Congressional Delegation March 25 at his residence. According to the paper, discussions between the Ivorian leader and the four-member delegation focused on the peace process underway in Cote d'Ivoire. The American Congressmen and this country [Cote d'Ivoire] are bound by "a good relation," the paper quoted US Ambassador to Cote d'Ivoire Wanda L. Nesbitt as saying.
2. On a different topic, Fraternite Matin reported that the CNRD -- a coalition of parties and movements supportive of President Gbagbo -- meeting yesterday, called for elections to be held this year. The CNRD, reported the paper, rejected the Prime Minister's position that the cantonment of ex-rebels was delayed due to technical and financial problems. According to the paper, the CNRD also demanded the Prime Minister to resign from his position as Secretary General of the New Forces and stop supporting positions of the former rebel movement that are harmful to the economy of the country.
3. Le Temps (a daily pro-FPI) ran a prominent headline on the front page saying that "the assassination of a soldier in Duekoue and a civilian in Guiglo has sparked anger among the population." In a bid to bring down "tension" in Duekoue and Guiglo, the Ivorian Army chief of staff, Major General Philippe Mangou, visited the region yesterday.
4. The paper also reported that the CNRD is putting "pressure on Soro to speed up the peace process in Cote d'Ivoire." The CNRD also used their meeting yesterday to call for "an immediate cantonment of ex-combatants," and the reestablishment of public services throughout the country.
5. A prominent story on the front page of Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition) said that the military governor of Duekoue, Colonel-Major Guié Globo, is seeking refuge in Abidjan following the military uprising in this region.
6. 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 peace process has reached a crucial stage as three staunch supporters of the ruling FPI party are trying to bring down Soro." According to the paper, the First Lady Simone Gbagbo, the president of the National Assembly, Mr. Mamadou Koulibaly, and the president of FPI, Mr. Affi Nguessan, have been tasked to lead a campaign designed to "tarnish the reputation" of the Ivorian Prime Minister. The paper also reported that General Mangou met the soldier mutineers yesterday in Guiglo. After their exchange, the town regained its calm.
7. A front-page item in L'inter (an independent daily) said that President Gbagbo has "a secret date" for the upcoming presidential elections. According to the paper, the long-deferred presidential elections will not take place in June as in the original plan. The paper alleged that Gbagbo has his own "agenda" on the date of the polls. Citing sources close to Gbagbo's entourage, the paper said that "Gbagbo prefers the elections to be held on October 26 of this year."
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