United States Embassy (Abidjan)
19 November 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 said that the Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo vowed to wage a war against economic saboteurs. The voter registration exercise in the run-up to the coming presidential elections and the power struggle between the Ivorian State Prosecutor and disgruntled lawyers were also subjects of front-page stories. The trial of 104 Ivorian soldiers accused of violence and looting during pay protests in September; a survey on gender-based violence during armed conflict in Cote d'Ivoire; a campaign against the worst forms of child labor were the other major news items. Many dailies also reported on the U.S. Ambassador, Wanda L. Nesbitt's visit Tuesday to the Port of Abidjan.
1. Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily): A prominent story on the front page of this paper said that Cote d'Ivoire's President Laurent Gbagbo has declared war against "economic saboteurs". According to the paper, the president said, "Those who steal public moneys will be brought to justice." He added that this would help "fight poverty." President Gbagbo made this declaration to delegates on Tuesday at the 1st West African mining and power resources Summit in Yamoussoukro, Cote d'Ivoire's economic capital. The president further said "We Africans, especially Black Africans, are sitting down doing nothing to transform our wealth to become engine of our development." He concluded by saying "It's not worth shouting that Africa is rich, its soil is very rich (mines and energy), while we're still poor. It's not worth sitting on mining resources like bauxite, gold, petrol and uranium, while we're still hungry... How do we want to be invited to the G20 Summit, while we've become eternal beggars of loans?"
2. Reporting on the Mining and Power Resources Summit, Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling Ivorian Popular Front party) said that President Gbagbo proposed the creation of "a security basket-fund" as a way for the African continent to address its development challenges. Le Temps (a daily close to the ruling Ivorian Popular Front party) said the Ivorian Minister of Mining and Energy called for the creation of a regional power market; a project that will be built on the West Africa's huge mining and energy capacity.
3. On political issues, a banner headline in Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition) announced that the voter registration exercise will end within eleven days in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire's economic capital. The paper further indicated that based on the recommendations of the recent meeting between the Ivorian political stakeholders in Ouagadougou, the voter registration exercise should end on November 30. In a related development, a front-page story in Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party) said the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) is threatening to replace voter registration agents who have embarked in an indefinite strike over pays.
4. Regarding the standoff between the Ivorian State Prosecutor and disgruntled lawyers, a prominent story in
Le Nouveau Reveil said that the Prosecutor Tuesday closed down the Court House in Abidjan. According to the paper, yesterday the court premises were cordoned off by gendarmes, while the lawyers continued their strike. It further said that the Justice Minister has started mediation in an attempt to defuse the tension.
5. Regarding the case of the 104 Ivorian soldiers accused of violence and looting during pay protests in September, Fraternite Matin, reported that the trial has been adjourned for the second time. According to the paper, the procedures, which began yesterday at the Martial Court in Abidjan, were quickly adjourned to Thursday to allow defense counsel, only appointed on Monday due to the strike of the lawyers, more time to prepare. [The case involves 100 soldiers and four junior officers who mounted violent protests in September in Daoukro and Yamoussoukro, central Cote d'Ivoire, to demand payment of so-called war bonuses.
A number of civilians were wounded by stray bullets during the two-day riots. The soldiers are charged with breaching the peace, going against orders, armed robbery, illegal confinement of people, destruction of public property and committing violent acts against superiors. If convicted each soldier could face up to 20 years in prison.]
6. On gender-based violence in Cote d'Ivoire, Notre Voie quoted a study conducted by an Ivorian NGO saying that the socio-political crisis that Cote d'Ivoire faced had contributed to the serious human rights violation and to the violence against women that were rampant before the crisis. The report said that the study was conducted in Western city of Duekoue in 2002 through 2007. In another development, the paper reported that representatives of the local government including Mayors and General Counselors recently received training on child protection. The training, the report said, was part of a project by the Interior Ministry aimed at stamping out the phenomenon of the worst forms of child labor in Cote d'Ivoire.
MEDIA REACTION TO U.S. AND OTHER WORLD ISSUES
The visit of the US Ambassador Wanda L. Nesbitt Tuesday to the Abidjan Port received intensive coverage in pro and opposition dailies in Cote d'Ivoire. Fraternite Matin; Le Temps; Soir Info; L'inter; and L'intelligent d'Abidjan carried positive reports on the visit. According to Fraternite Matin, the visit offered the US diplomat the opportunity to gauge the importance of the port in the Ivorian economy. The paper quoted the port's officials saying "the visit of the Ambassador of the world most powerful country is an honor." "We demand Madam Ambassador and her country to help Cote d'Ivoire resolve this crisis that is holding back our activities," Soir Info quoted the Managing Director of the port, Marcel Gossio as saying. "The US Ambassador salutes the tremendous achievement of the port," said a headline in Le Temps. "Through this visit, Madam Nesbitt wanted to demonstrate America's support to the port that is an engine of development," wrote L'intelligent d'Abidjan.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 United States Embassy. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
