United States Embassy (Abidjan)
10 July 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 newspapers focused on the World Bank findings on racketeering in Cote d'Ivoire. The papers also reported on a French court's subpoena of President Laurent Gbagbo's wife on the disappearance of a French-Canadian journalist in Abidjan in 2004; the recent increases in fuel prices; President Laurent Gbagbo's anti-corruption campaign; and the state of the media in Cote d'Ivoire.
1. Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily): In a front-page story, the paper quoted a World Bank report, which said "every year, security forces in Cote d'Ivoire illegally collected as much as FCFA 150 billion from roadblocks." According to the paper, the findings were published yesterday during a World Bank conference in Abidjan. Present at this conference were local World Bank officials, Ambassador Wanda L. Nesbitt, the head of the military high-command - General Philippe Mangou, as well as government ministers in charge of industry. The paper said that in just the cities, "racketeering results in as much as FCFA 25.8 billion." According to the World Bank report, "racketeering has important impacts on Cote d'Ivoire's economy, including the sky rocketing prices of food commodities on the Ivorian market." The paper listed some of the other impacts which were mentioned in the Bank report as "holding back the competition amongst companies; hindering the free movement of people and goods; and making it difficult for the government to collect revenues."
2. Reporting on the same issue, Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition), quoted General Mangou, who seems to dispute the figures, saying "The reporters should have worked with us to have the correct figures." According to the paper, General Mangou used the occasion to highlight "measures that have been put in place in order to reduce the number of checkpoints on the roads." The paper also quoted Ambassador Nesbitt, who advised that "this is not the time to fight over figures. What is important is to find a solution to the problem through dialogue."
3. In reaction to the summons for the Ivorian First Lady, Simone Gbagbo, to testify in Paris on June 10 before a French judge on the case of Guy-Andre Kieffer, Fraternite Matin accused the French judge of "abuse of power." According to the paper, the channel used by the judge to summon the wife of President Gbagbo was "non-conventional." [NOTE: Dailies in Cote d'Ivoire reported June 9 that Simone Gbagbo and Paul Antoine Bohoun Bouabre, a former Minister of Economy, have been summoned to testify in Paris on June 10 before a French judge on the case of Guy-Andre Kieffer, a French-Canadian journalist, who went missing in Abidjan in 2004. Kieffer went missing while researching a story on corruption in the Ivorian cocoa sector. Previous reports also quoted officials at the Ministry of Justice saying that they were not aware of any summons for Mrs. Gbagbo to be questioned over the missing journalist and that they learned about this summons on Radio France International (RFI) - a French international broadcasting network.]
4. On the fuel price increases, a front-page story in L'inter (a privately-owned daily) said "anger is growing". The paper quoted Guei Bombet, President of the opposition Renaissance party, as saying: "If the government does not collapse, we won't get anything." According to the paper, Bombet was reacting to recent fuel hikes. L'intelligent d'Abidjan (an independent daily) also carried a similar report saying that "the days to come are likely to be difficult, as drivers and consumer associations, including the Association for the Protection of the Consumers (ANAPROCI) and the Federation of Drivers, are calling for demonstration beginning today."
5. Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) published a long article explaining the motive behind President Gbagbo's fight against corruption. According the paper, by taking the initiative designed to crackdown on corruption, Gbagbo has opted for good governance.
6. Regarding the peace process underway in Cote d'Ivoire, Fraternite Matin announced that the fifth Meeting of the Committee Overseeing the Ouagadougou Political Agreement signed in March 2007 between President Gbagbo and Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, also leader of the New Forces, is due to open today in Ouagadougou, Burkinabe capital. The paper said that the meeting will be chaired by the facilitator in the Ivorian peace process, President Blaise Compaore, and that discussions will focus on the funding of the peace process.
7. On the state of the media in Cote d'Ivoire, Fraternite Matin reported that a committee, which was tasked by the Ministry of Communication, has made recommendations to open up the audiovisual sector beyond government ownership and allow private businesses or individuals to also have ownership in this sector.
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