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 said that government officials are to appear before a judge as "witnesses" in connection with the probe into the cocoa and coffee industry following allegations of embezzlement. The disarmament of the former rebels and the Ivorian electoral process were the other major issues in the newspapers. Ivorian dailies also commented on the US electoral process.

1. Fraternite Matin (state-owned daily): A front-page story in this paper said that the hearing of four government officials in connection with the probe into the scandal that has hit the Ivorian cocoa and coffee industry is due to begin today. The paper recalled that the decision to hear these officials as "witnesses" in this matter was taken during a cabinet meeting a few months ago. The officials are named as the Planning and Development Minister, Paul Bohoun Bouabre; Agriculture Minister, Amadou Gon Coulibaly; Economy and Finance Minister, Charles Koffi; Animal Husbandry and Fishery Minister, Alphonse Douaty and Sebastien Dano Djedje, former Agriculture Minister. "Considered to be neutral in the matter relating to allegations of embezzlement in the cocoa and coffee sector, these cabinet ministers have been asked to help shed light on this scandal." [NOTE: A few months ago, the Police in Cote d'Ivoire arrested top officials of the Coffee and Cocoa industry in a widening crackdown on fraud in these sectors.]

2. On the disarmament process, Fraternite Matin reported that 1,200 ex-combatants and militiamen will be disbanded by the end of November 2008. According to the paper, this was announced last week by the coordinator of the disarmament program, Daniel Ouattara, during a seminar for local journalists on this program. In a related development, Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) reported that the International Migration Organization is to finance 250 micro-projects as part of the disarmament program. These projects are mostly designed for 1,300 former combatants, said the paper.

3. Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition): A prominent report in this paper said that the head of the Ivorian Defence and Security forces [FDS-CI, regular army], General Philippe Mangou, has vowed to "severely punish" soldiers who are tempted "to undermine the authority of the government." General Mangou, who was speaking over the weekend during a ceremony held to honor 108 soldiers promoted this year, was quoted as telling his soldiers: "Don't allow the political leaders to manipulate you." According to the paper, the Ivorian commander was referring to recent tensions within the army when some soldiers went on a rampage to demand payment of their allowances.

4. Still on military issues, Soir Info (an independent newspaper) carried a prominent story saying that the former head of the Ivorian Defence and Security forces, General Mathias Doue, has deferred plans to return home. According to the paper, General Doue, who is living in exile, was due to arrive in Abidjan today, but had to abandon the plan for "security reasons." The paper went on to quote a leader of Congress for an Ivorian Renaissance (CRI) - the party that asked the former chief of defense staff to be its flag bearer at the next presidential election - as saying "We demand that the President of the Republic ensure us that if Doue comes back, he won't be assassinated."

5. Fraternite Matin carried a reaction from Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore on the Ivorian long-delayed presidential elections. President Compaore, who is also the facilitator in the Ivorian peace process, reportedly said that "We must make sure that we are preparing for elections that will not be hastily conducted, but for elections that will be clean, fair and just and this depends on the quality of the voter registration." The mediator further described as a "secondary" issue the delay in the establishment of the voters' rolls.

6. In a public statement published by L'inter (an independent daily paper), the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) said "regarding the date of the coming presidential election in Cote d'Ivoire, the commission is working on some aspects of the electoral timetable and will announce its position on this issue at the right time." The statement also said: "It [CEI] is working hard on the establishment of a clean, transparent and credible voter registration that reflects the reality in the country."

7. On the US presidential elections, Fraternite Matin reported that the former Secretary of State, Colin Powell, has decided to throw his weight behind Democratic candidate Barrack Obama in the race for the presidency. Basing his assessment on Obama's "capacity to inspire," reported the paper, Powell said the Illinois Senator "meets the requirements to lead the United States." Powell, the paper said, sees Obama as "a reformer" and for that reason, "I will vote for him."