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 demands of the former combatants of the New Forces (FN) for additional payments of about $11,000 USD each they claim they were promised as part of their reinsertion into civilian life were again the subject of prominent stories in many dailies in Cote d'Ivoire. The electoral process in Cote d'Ivoire; the World Bank's support for post-conflict projects; and the ongoing anti-corruption campaign are the other top stories in today's Ivorian newspapers.

1. Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily): A banner headline said that the ex-combatants have created the "Patriotic Movement of the Demobilized of Cote d'Ivoire," as negotiations between the disgruntled soldiers and New Forces military commanders yesterday in Bouake, the stronghold of the former rebel movement, "collapsed." The paper further published an interview with the leader of the Patriotic Movement of the Demobilized of Cote d'Ivoire, who said: "Those who were our bosses yesterday are now calling us bandits." The leader of the new movement added that: "Our objective is to paralyze the entire city of Bouake until our grievances are resolved."

2. In a separate story, the paper quoted Guillaume Soro, the New Forces leader turned Prime Minister, as saying there has been a lot of "disinformation and brainwashing" after the launch of a 1000 micro-projects initiative for the socio-economic reinsertion of ex-combatants and young people at risk. He added: "Nobody can give five million FCFA (about $11,000 USD -- the amount being demanded) to any ex-rebel." According to the paper, the Ivorian Premier was reacting yesterday to the continuing demonstrations by the ex-combatants in Bouake.(NOTE: The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Cote d'Ivoire, Y.J. Choi, launched the 1000 micro-projects initiative for the socio-economic reinsertion of ex-combatants and young people at risk on August 14, 2008, in Bouaké. Mr. Choi reportedly said at the launching ceremony that the four-million-dollar micro-project initiative was indicative of the international community's support for the strengthening of peace and stability in Cote d'Ivoire.)

3. Reporting on the same issue, Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) prominently reported that "the insurgents yesterday closed every access to the central city of Bouake." In another item, the paper insinuated that Ibrahim Coulibaly, a.k.a IB, could be "the brain behind the current violent protests in Bouake." (NOTE: Ibrahim Coulibaly was recently tried and sentenced in absentia by a court in Paris for plotting to overthrow the regime in Cote d'Ivoire.)

4. In a front-page story, Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling party) quoted a leading member of this party as saying that the uneasy atmosphere in Bouake does not constitute a threat for Henri Konan Bedie, the leader of the party. Reports say the former Ivorian President is expected to address a rally Sunday (August 24) in Bouake as part of his first tour of central-northern Cote d'Ivoire since the ex-rebellion took control of this region in September, 2002.

5. On the controversy surrounding the date of the upcoming presidential elections in Cote d'Ivoire, Fraternite Matin quoted a top official of the New Forces as saying, "The Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) should say whether the date of November 30 set for the polls can be respected or not." The New Forces leader was speaking to reporters after members of the Oversight Committee of the Ouagadougou Agreement met yesterday in Abidjan with members of the CEI "to evaluate the peace process and the preparations for the November 30 presidential elections."

6. In a related development, L'inter (an independent daily) hinted that court officials are threatening to boycott the new program designed to extend voter identification ahead of the forthcoming presidential elections. A statement issued a few days ago by the Justice Minister said that "fifty teams will be deployed from 27 August to 12 September to issue court judgments to establish an individual's identity in locations that were not taken into account or not sufficiently taken into account during the previous operation."

7. In a bid to support post-conflict projects in Cote d'Ivoire, the World Bank offered 134 vehicles to the sub-prefects, reported Fraternite Matin. Estimated at $5 million USD, the vehicles were presented to the Ivorian Prime Minister during a ceremony in Abidjan yesterday.

8. A story in L'intelligent d'Abidjan (an independent daily) said that the Resident International Monetary Fund (IMF) Representative, Philippe Egoume Bossogo, exhorted Ivorian authorities to continue their efforts in order to clear some of the country's debt arrears in order to reschedule its debts to the Paris club of sovereign lenders, and subsequently qualify for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. The IMF official, who was speaking yesterday in Abidjan, reportedly said that the country's debts stood at 6.18 trillion CFA francs ($13.97 billion) in April.

9. Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition) said that the Ivorian government has ordered an audit of some state-owned companies including the Abidjan Port Authority. The exercise, explained the paper, is in connection with the anti-corruption campaign launched by President Laurent Gbagbo in order to ensure good governance as recommended by the IMF as a precondition to qualify for debt relief.