United States Embassy (Abidjan)
28 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.
President Laurent Gbagbo's three-day State visit to Burkina Faso and the Ivorian peace process were the dominant issues in today's Ivorian press. Other reports said that soldiers of the Center for the Integrated Command - a joint government and former rebels military unit - went on the rampage on July 26 over pay. Dailies also said that four Ivorians including the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and internationally known journalist Venance Konan were summoned by the State intelligence service.
1. Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily): The visit of President Gbagbo to Burkina Faso was the subject of a front-page story in this paper. "The previously troubled relationship between the two neighbors, marked by acrimony and enmity, is over," commented the paper. The cooperation between Cote d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso and the Ivorian peace process are high on the agenda, reported the paper, adding that through this visit, "the two countries want to open a new chapter in their relationship."
2. Among issues to be addressed during this visit, Fraternite Matin mentioned the implementation of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement, especially "the difficult question regarding the financing of the peace process." The paper further asserted that the two leaders would talk about President Gbagbo's recent plan to reshuffle the current cabinet. The Ivorian leader, the paper said, will address today the Burkinabe Parliament. Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party): A banner headline on the front page of this paper said that President Gbagbo was warmly welcome upon arrival in Ouagadougou yesterday.
3. L'inter (an independent daily): A prominent story in this paper said that angry soldiers of the Center for the Integrated Command (CCI) blocked traffic on the Yamoussoukro-Bouake road on July 26 over delayed pay. Reporting on the same issue, Fraternite Matin carried a front-page story saying that the military high command "defused the tension," as the angry soldiers agreed to open traffic on the road following payment of part of their allowances. The paper recalled that the Center for the Integrated Command was set up to ensure security in the former confidence zone after the removal of check-points in April 2007 by President Gbagbo and his Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro.
4. Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition): A prominent story on the front-page of this paper said that the State intelligence service is searching for the President of the Ivorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jean-Louis Billon. According to the paper, Mr. Billon and three other personalities including N'Gouan Patrick, President of the Ivorian League of Human Rights (LIDHO); Mr. Mesmin Comoe, President of the Movement for the Defense of the Rights of Teachers; and Venance Konan, a well-known freelance journalist, were summoned to report July 29 at the office of the State intelligence service for interrogation. According to the paper, Mr. Billon said he was previously summoned by the intelligence authority, while Konan said he was not aware of the summons.
5. Regarding the high cost of living in Cote d'Ivoire, Fraternite Matin said that consumers have rejected a plan to increase the price of bread from F CFA 150 to F CFA 200 beginning August 2. According to the paper, the President of UNACOQ - the National Union for Quality Consumers - has called upon the population to boycott the bread to protest against this decision. To fight the food crisis in Cote d'Ivoire, reported Fraternite Matin, the Minister of Planning and Development launched a project to ensure food sufficiency in Cote d'Ivoire. The project, said the paper, was financed by national and international donors including the WFO and UNDP.
Media Coverage of Embassy Activities
Cote d'Ivoire state-owned television network - RTI-TV1 - carried over the weekend footage of participants, including DCM Cynthia Akuetteh and the Minister of National Reconciliation, who attended a DVC on tolerance on July 24 organized by PAS Abidjan. ARS speaker Dr. Susan Perry spoke during the program. The report mostly highlighted the Reconciliation Minister's message that tolerance is one of the essential catalysts for peace and reconciliation. Radio Cote d'Ivoire (the national radio station) and Radio Nationale Catholique (a Roman Catholic radio station in Abidjan) also carried the message of the reconciliation minister.
carried over the weekend footage of participants, including DCM Cynthia Akuetteh and the Minister of National Reconciliation, who attended a DVC on tolerance on July 24 organized by PAS Abidjan. ARS speaker Dr. Susan Perry spoke during the program. The report mostly highlighted the Reconciliation Minister's message that tolerance is one of the essential catalysts for peace and reconciliation. also carried the message of the reconciliation minister.
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