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


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United States Embassy (Abidjan)

27 June 2008
Posted to the web 30 June 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.

Today papers continued to report on the anti-corruption campaign in Cote d'Ivoire's Cocoa and coffee industry; a probable reshuffle of government; the peace process and the insecurity in Cote d'Ivoire.

1. "After the arrests in Cocoa and coffee industry, Gbagbo gave new instructions" is the front page story of Notre Voie (a pro-FPI daily). According to the paper, at the weekly government meeting yesterday, President Gbagbo gave instructions to Prime Minister Soro to take without delay, measures to combat corruption in Cote d'Ivoire. President Gbagbo encouraged judges in their work and asked to do everything in order the find the truth.

The paper also reported that the UN Human Rights chief in Cote d'Ivoire made a press conference yesterday at their headquarters. He stated that the general political atmosphere is calm but he deplored that the insecurity is still high specifically in certain areas of the North and West of Cote d'Ivoire where no judicial administration exists.

2. L'Intelligent d'Abidjan (an independent daily) also reported that the head of the human rights division of the UN operations in Cote d'Ivoire, Mr. Simon Amoussou, deplored the situation of human rights in the west and north of Cote d'Ivoire where local militia are still active. Mr. Amoussou also congratulated the Head of State Laurent Gbagbo for taking a law towards human rights. However, he wished that some texts in the amnesty order should be amended.

3. Fraternite Matin (the state-owned daily) carried a headline which said: "Corruption and frauds during the school exams, Gbagbo to Soro: I am waiting for urgent measures; the Head of State opens new paths to moralize the public life". According to the paper, during yesterday government weekly meeting, President Gbagbo although he was happy about the anti-corruption judicial process underway, he asked his Prime Minister Soro to propose anti-corruption measures and to find solutions to combat fraud in professional competitions and school exams organized by the Ivorian government.

4. "Imminent government reshuffle, here is the black list of Gbagbo" is the front-page story of Le Matin d'Abidjan (a daily close to Gbagbo). According to the paper, if everything goes well, it is tomorrow June 28 that President Gbagbo in agreement with Soro Guillaume will announce the reshuffle to the public. Five ministers are supposed to be out. These are Gon Coulibaly (RDR), minister of Agriculture; Youssouf Soumahoro (New Forces) minister of commerce; Leon Emmanuel Monnet (FPI) minister of mines and energy; Patrick Achi (PDCI) minister of economic infrastructures and Mabri Toikeusse (UDPCI) minister of transport.

5. Le Nouveau Réveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI party) carried a front story which said: "Reshuffle against Rassemblement des Houphoutistes, de la Démocratie et de la Paix (RHDP) a coalition of the opposition, is Soro accomplice of Gbagbo?" According to the paper, it is now a certainty that behind the operation "clean hands" launched by Gbagbo, there is a reshuffle to weaken the opposition before the November 30 date.

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6. Le Jour Plus (a daily close to the opposition) reported that the international community cornered Gbagbo. According the paper, after the payment of its debts, the government encountered difficulties in its daily operations. The government then asked the World Bank to lend him 400 billion CFA. But when the World Bank met last year with Prime Soro, one of its members said that money generated by coffee and cocoa as well as the money from petrol is important enough to insure a financial health. The paper said when the government went back to see the World Bank, the Bretton Woods institutions asked him to clean the coffee and cocoa industry where many institutions from the international community, like the European Union and Global Wtiness, noticed mismanagement.


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