"41 militias handed over to the Ivorian justice system," says a prominent headline in Fraternite Matin (p. 4). According to the paper, the Liberian authorities have extradited Ivorian militia members accused of being involved in the 2011 post-electoral violence. The report says that the 41 men, believed to be close to former president Laurent Gbagbo, arrived in Abidjan on Saturday under heavy escort provided by UN and government forces. The report also says that the deportation of the militias followed a Liberian court's decision.
"Deadly attacks in the west: 41 pro-Gbagbo militia members extradited to Abidjan," says a front-page banner headline in Le Patriote which publishes the full list of the deportees. "After the extradition of 41 militia members, 70 Liberian mercenaries also expected in Cote d'Ivoire," says a front-page headline in Nord-Sud Quotidien. According to the report, the 70 mercenaries were arrested a couple of weeks ago following the deadly attacks along the Liberian-Ivorian border.
Meanwhile, an article in Notre Voie (p. 5) suggests that the extradition of the "41 pro-Gbagbo" militia members is another "setback" for the peace process underway in Cote d'Ivoire. The article says that the deportation, the second round of deportations of people accused of being involved in the post-electoral violence, will hinder the "difficult" reconciliation process.
"To satisfy Ouattara's desires, Liberia is persecuting Ivorian refugees," reads a front-page headline in Le Nouveau Courrier. The paper (p. 5) explains how Liberian security forces have besieged refugee camps and harassed Ivorians under the pretext of "tracking down militias and mercenaries." The article also denounces "the disturbing silence" being observed by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and "the complicity" of human rights organizations. The paper also discloses that the 41 "Ivorian youths" who were extradited over the weekend were detained for more than a year.
In a related development, Le Nouveau Reveil (p. 3) quotes a reported leader of the FS LIMA, "a pro-Gbagbo militia group," confessing that the group took up arms to fight President Alassane Ouattara's government after they were "manipulated" by the previous regime.
This daily press review is compiled by the Information Section of the Public Affairs Office of the American Embassy in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. The opinions expressed in these reviews in no way reflect the views of the United States Government and are presented for informational purposes only. The accuracy of reports contained in this summary has not been confirmed by the Embassy.
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