United States Embassy (Abidjan)
12 February 2009
This daily press review is compiled by the Information Section of the Public Affairs Office of the American Embassy in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
Today's newspapers continue to report on the MTN - presidency trial; the identification and election processes; and the discussions on the country's economy vis-a-vis the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries' (HIPCs) initiative. The papers also reported on concerns about public health, especially Hepatitis B and toxic waste impacts in Cote d'Ivoire.
1. Contrary to yesterday's reports that President Laurent Gbagbo's former secretary was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment in the trial involving MTN, today's dailies said that Mrs. Gome and "her accomplice", Mrs. Umviga Mette Elise will be incarcerated for five years, each. (NOTE: Mrs. Umviga Mette, is said to be the President's outside collaborator). A front page story in Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) said: "Five years in prison...for Mrs. Gome and her accomplice." According to the report, in addition to the five year sentences, Mrs. Gome and her accomplice were also fined 300,000 F CFA; 10 years' deprivation of their civil rights; 3 years prohibition from travelling around the country; and a symbolic sum to be paid to the president for defamation. Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party) said "The verdict to defraud MTN of 65 million was confirmed yesterday at 14:10pm." Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) said "The judge was unmerciful to Mrs. Gome and her accomplice: 5 years imprisonment for each of the women."
2. On the Ivorian peace process, Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) reported that on February 11, the Representative of the UN General Secretary's Mission in Cote d'Ivoire, Y. J. Choi and Prime Minister, Soro Guillaume held a meeting to discuss the issue. According to the newspaper, Choi requested a schedule for the peace process and said "In the absence of a timetable with specific dates, you must have a schedule of events" to avoid missing the timelines laid out in the Ouagadougou Political Agreement (OPA). L'inter (an independent daily) carried a similar report.
3. On the identification and electoral processes, papers talked about the crucial challenges facing the peace process. Le Jour Plus (a daily close to the opposition) said that international organizations, including the Electoral Division of the United Nations Mission in Cote d'Ivoire, the National Democratic Institute, and the Carter Center talked about funding in a seminar titled "The electoral process in Cote d'Ivoire: Contributions from international organizations for successful elections." According to the paper this meeting was initiated by an Ivorian Human Rights Activists NGO (RAIDH). The paper said that according to the NGO, the international community's assistance is needed to guarantee the success of the elections. L'intelligent d' Abidjan (an independent daily), reporting on the event, said that RAIDH organized the discussion in the framework of its monthly conference program.
4. On the country's economy, L'intelligent d' Abidjan (an independent daily) said that representatives from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank mission in Cote d'Ivoire met with Prime Minister, Soro Guillaume on February 11 to assess the government's budgetary situation. This meeting is within the framework of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) initiative. According to the paper, the Prime Minister, who acknowledged that there is a budget overrun, assured the World Bank and IMF experts that the government will comply with their recommendations. Le Patriote (a daily close to the opposition RDR party) reporting on the same issue said, "Soro promised to stop budget overrun." According to Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily), Arend Kouwenaar, one of the experts, said "The Prime Minister assured us that in spite of the challenges, the Government will make an effort for the 2009 budget to meet the requirements of the international community..."
5. Soir Info (an independent daily) reported on the disarmament of militias in the context of the peace process. The paper said that after yesterday's reporting of the militias' protest in two papers - Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition) and Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) - the disarmament has actually restarted. The report said that in Yamoussoukro, the Ivorian political capital, 818 people are in the process of being disarmed.
6. On public health issues, Le Jour Plus (a daily close to the opposition) said in a prominent front-page headline - "Hepatitis B: more deadly than AIDS." According to the paper, the disease is more contagious than AIDS and just like AIDS the transmission is through sexual contact, blood or mother-to-child. The article also stated that a study conducted in Cote d'Ivoire by the World Health Organization revealed that 18.2 percent of pregnant women are infected. In a separate development, the daily said that an Ivorian medical society (Société ivoirienne de gastro-entérologie et endoscopie digestive) initiated a project called "Hepatitis Network" to fight the disease through awareness-raising campaigns and preventive actions. On other health matters, Le Patriote (a daily close to the opposition RDR party) reported that bundles of toxic wastes were discovered in Abobo, one of Abidjan's largest neighborhoods. Accompanied by a picture of bundles of toxic waste, the report said that the people of Abidjan are constantly being poisoned.
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