9News Nigeria

Cote d’Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara has reshuffled his cabinet, maintaining most senior ministers while appointing his brother, Defence Minister Tene Birahima Ouattara, to the newly created role of vice prime minister.

Birahima will hold the role alongside his defence portfolio.

The move elevates the younger Ouattara within the government hierarchy, while most key portfolios remained unchanged, signaling continuity rather than a comprehensive overhaul, Reuters reported.

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The reshuffle on Friday follows Ouattara’s re-election in October and his party’s victory in December’s legislative elections, securing a parliamentary majority.t

Ouattara, 84, a former deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund, has led the country since 2011 and has said that he intends to prepare the ground for a new generation of political leaders during his tenure.

The changes come as Cote d’Ivoire, the world’s largest cocoa producer, seeks to build on nearly 15 years of sustained economic growth that has made it among the region’s fastest-growing economies.

9News Nigeria

9News Nigeria

This was not the first time BNL would attack Cameroon Brigade d’Intervention Rapide, BIR in Bakassi.

Militants, suspected to Black Marine of Biafra Nations League (BNL), have reportedly killed two Cameroonian soldiers.The members of the militant group on Thursday were reportedly travelling toward Ikang near Nigeria’s borders when members of the Cameroon’s Rapid d’intervention Battalion (BIR) started shooting a short distance away.

According to a source, the militants retaliated by shooting one BIR and killing two BIR.

They returned to the Abana waterfront, where the Cameroon flag was flying, and fired randomly before lowering it and hoisting the Biafran flag around the voting booth.This was not the first time BNL would attack Cameroon Brigade d’Intervention Rapide, BIR in Bakassi.

In May 2021, they engaged in a fierce gun battle at Isangele, Bakassi Peninsula area.The gun battle reportedly left some members of the BIR dead.

The BNL Chief Head of Operations, Henry Edet, confirmed the attack in a brief statement saying, “Militant group loyal to BNL and Cameroon forces exchanged fire in Isangele, Bakassi Peninsula.

”He claimed the “Two Cameroon BIR dropped dead during an exchange of gunfire in Bakassi Peninsula.

”Recall that the BNL had recently revealed its plans to completely shut down the Gulf of Guinea, threatening to hoist the Biafran flag.

The group said it would carry out its threat of hoisting the Biafran flags in Bakassi Peninsula to mark the Biafra Day memorial.

9News Nigeria

9News Nigeria

La publication d’actualités de la 2e conférence annuelle biannuelle de la All Africa Baptist Youth Fellowship de la région occidentale tenue à la République du Bénin impliquant 200 délégués à travers le Nigeria, la République du Bénin, le Togo, la Côte d’Ivoire, le Libéria, la Sierra Leone, le Mali et le Niger.

The News Publication of the All Africa Baptist Youth Fellowship Western Region 2nd Bi Annual Conference held at Republic of Benin involving 200 Delegates across Nigeria, Republic of Benin, Togo, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali and Niger.

La All Africa Baptist Youth Fellowship Western Region organise sa 2e conférence annuelle biannuelle en République du Bénin sur le thème - Me voici, envoie-moi (Isaïe 6: 8)

The All Africa Baptist Youth Fellowship Western Region organises her 2nd Bi Annual Conference in Republic of Benin Themed- Here I Am Send Me (Isaiah 6:8)

La 2e Conférence semestrielle des jeunes de la All Africa Baptist Youth Fellowship Western Region a débuté du 24 au 28 août 2022 avec l'inscription et l'arrivée des deux délégués locaux, les Benielels avec d'autres délégués internationaux de 7 pays différents d'Afrique de l'Ouest, du Togo, du Ghana et du Nigéria. , Libéria, Sierra Leone, Niger, Côte d'Ivoire

The 2nd Bi- Annual Youth Conference of the All Africa Baptist Youth Fellowship Western Region commenced August 24 – 28 2022 with registration and arrival of both local delegates, The Benielels with other International Delegates from 7 different countries in West Africa, Togo, Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Niger, Ivory Coast

Le programme de la Conférence biannuelle de la jeunesse permet aux jeunes des pays africains, en particulier de la région de l'Afrique de l'Ouest, de servir Dieu à différents titres, de réseauter et de créer des synergies avec d'autres délégués d'autres pays africains, l'utilisant ainsi pour l'édification du corps du Christ

The Bi Annual Youth Conference program affords youth across Africa countries particularly the West African region to serve God in different capacities, network and synergize with other delegates from other African countries thereby using it for the edification of the body of Christ.

Le programme de conférence de 5 jours pour les jeunes propose des activités de qualité comme l'étude de la Bible, des sessions de formation, des visites

The 5 days youth conference program features quality activities like bible study, training sessions and sightseeing

Le président de la région de l'Ouest, Fr. Gideon S. Washington du Libéria déclare la conférence ouverte, encourage tous les délégués à participer activement afin de profiter du meilleur du programme. Il a réitéré l'importance de cette conférence, particularité dans la belle ville de la République du Bénin. Il encourage les délégués à travailler ensemble pour construire une organisation meilleure et plus brillante, plus efficiente et efficace qui fait une différence rédemptrice pour le Christ devrait être la priorité absolue

The Western Region President , Bro.Gideon S. Washington from Liberia declare the conference open, encourages all delegates to participate actively in order to enjoy the very best of the program. He reiterated the importance of this conference, particularity in the beautiful city of The Republic of Benin. He encourages delegates that working together to build a better and brighter, more efficient and effective organisation that makes a redemptive difference for Christ should be utmost priority.

Le Président de l'Union des Eglises Baptistes du Bénin, le Révérend Kakpo Marc Gabriel dans sa courte exhortation a exprimé sa joie de voir cette année la conférence se tenir dans son pays.

The President Union of Benin Baptist Churches, Rev Kakpo Marc Gabriel in his short exhortation expressed his delight in seeing this year conference being held in his country.

L'interprétation du thème était très explicative, ce qui a été fait par le pasteur Ahoga Augustin, un vaste prédicateur baptiste. Il souligne l'importance que les jeunes se rendent disponibles pour la propagation de l'évangile de Jésus-Christ car nous avons encore un domaine non atteint, d'où la moisson est abondante, les ouvriers sont peu nombreux.

The Theme Interpretation was very expository which was done by Pastor Ahoga Augustin a vast Baptist preacher, . He emphasises the importance of young people make themselves available for the propagationof the gospel of Jesus Christ as we have yet unreaached domain, hence the harvest is plentiful the labourers are few.

La réunion du jeudi 25 août comprend des sessions de formation sur le développement du leadership, en particulier sur la vie spirituelle d'un leader chrétien, animées par le révérend Dr John B. Laba. Il a mis en évidence certaines caractéristiques qui facilitent la croissance d'un leader chrétien et les vertus pour le vérifier. Il a analysé les différents styles de leadership ainsi que les traits de personnalité sur la manière dont un leader et ses partisans peuvent travailler en harmonie. Il a répondu aux questions des délégués sur le sujet.

The Thursday August 25 meeting features some training sessions on Leadership development particularly on spiritual life of a Christian leader facilitated by Rev Dr John B. Laba he highlighted some features that facilitate the growth of a Christian leader and virtues to ascertain it. He gave analysis of different leadership styles alongside personality traits how a leader and followers can work in harmony, he dealt with questions from the delegates addressing the subject matter.

Le directeur régional du programme Horizon de l'Alliance baptiste mondiale, Evang Koffi Soko Kpomgbe, le vendredi 26 AOÛT, a pris le temps d'expliquer en détail la nécessité pour laquelle chaque jeune baptiste en Afrique devrait suivre la formation. Il a donné crédit au président All Africa Baptist Fellowship, le révérend Dr Elias Apetogbo, qui se trouve être le premier diplômé du programme Horizon, il a ensuite été diplômé au niveau exécutif de l'AABYF. Il a réitéré certaines caractéristiques du programme car il pense qu'elles impliquent des modules bien structurés pour éduquer chacun profondément dans toutes les ramifications de la vie.

The Area Director for the Baptist World Alliance Horizon Program Evang Koffi Soko Kpomgbe on Friday AUGUST 26 took time to explain comprehensive the need why every Baptist Youth in Africa should undergo the training. He gave credence to the President All Africa Baptist Fellowship Rev Dr Elias Apetogbo who happens to be the first graduate of the horizon program he further instances of graduate at the executive level of the AABYF. He reiterated some features of the program as he believes they entails modules that are well structured to educated everyone deeply in all ramifications of life

Le trésorier de la région d'Afrique de l'Ouest de l'AABYF, le frère Babatunde Adejumobi, a relayé l'importance de l'offrande missionnaire collectée depuis le début du programme, il a souligné que l'argent collecté est projeté pour des projets de développement en ce qui concerne la propagation de l'évangile de Jésus-Christ dans les zones rurales et communautés difficiles à atteindre

The Treasurer of the AABYF west African region Bro Babatunde Adejumobi relayed the importance of the Mission Offering been collected since the inception of the program, he emphasized that money collected are projected for developmental projects with regards to propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ in rural and hard to reach communities

La session se poursuivra comme d'habitude le samedi avec une étude biblique coordonnée par le secrétaire général de la communauté des jeunes de la région de l'ouest, le pasteur Mazuli gadzo, un prédicateur togolais qui a partagé des idées spirituelles en particulier lors de la dévotion. où les délégués ont pris leur petit-déjeuner puis se sont dirigés vers la belle ville de la république du Bénin comme prévu.
La vue présente des lieux remarquables comme l'ancien temple de Pyton, connu pour être le centre traditionnel et touristique de visite, la plus ancienne église établie par le maître colonial français vers 1909 A.C, d'autres lieux visités étaient le lieu de non-retour étaient l'exportation d'esclaves ont été faites qui ont maintenant un monument pour se souvenir des personnes qui ont traversé des difficultés, le bureau présidentiel et l'aéroport ont été visités simultanément.

The session continue as usual on Saturday with bible study coordinated by the General Secretary of the Youth fellowship western region Pastor Mazuli gadzo, a Togolese Preacher who have been sharing spiritual insights particulary at devotion time. which delegates took their breakfast then head for the sightseeing across the beautiful city of the republic of Benin as planned.
The sight seeing features notable places like the Ancient Temple De Pyton, known to be the traditional and tourist center for visitation , the oldest church established by the French colonial master around 1909 A.C, other places visited were The Place of No Return were exportation of Slaves were done which is now had a Monument to remember people who went thru hardship , The Presidential Office and Airport was visited simultaneously.

La visite s'est terminée glorieusement dans la soirée avec une cérémonie de clôture avec une session de louange et d'adoration électrisante, des remarques de clôture du prix et de la reconnaissance des dirigeants continentaux, le rapport du comité de résolution présidé par le vice-président de la région ouest de la communauté, Bro Melvin Bombay de sirrealeone, dans lequel le rapport met en évidence quelques nouvelles le développement sur le prochain pays hôte sera la Côte d'Ivoire en 2024 en date de la première semaine de septembre puis le Nigeria Provisoirement 2026 même période.

The sight seeing ended gloriously in the evening with closing ceremony featuring electrifying praise and worship session, closing remarks from continental leaders award and recognition , Resolution Committee report chaired by The Fellowship Western Region Vice President Bro Melvin Bombay from sirrealeone in which the report highlights some new development onthe next hosting country to be Ivory Coast in 2024 dated first week in September then Nigeria Tentatively 2026 same period.

AABYF Executive present.

Pastor Enunuaye Onajite(Nigeria)Gen.Sec.
Bro. David Agogo(Nigeria)Soc./Pub.Sec.
Treasurer from Ghana.
VP (Southern Region).

AABYFWR Executive present.

Gideon Washington (Liberia)
Melvin Bambay Kamara (Sierra Leone).
Muwuli Gadzo (Togo).
Jacquse Lokonon (Bènin)
Babatunde Adejumobi (Nigeria)
Olayode Olawoore (Nigeria).
George Sannah (Liberia).
Arnaud Assogba (Niger).

Other Ministers of GOD present were
Pastor Enunuaye Onajite from Nigeria (General Secretary, AABYF), Rev’d Owei Owei (Nigeria), Rev’d Bunmi (Nigeria) and the National Youth Coordinator, Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev’d Joshua IbunkunOluwa,Also present were, Rev’d Dr John B. Laba; Rev’d Comar Codjia Kokou (Bènin); Please Arnaud Assogba (Niger);
Former WMU Chairperson of Western Region (Bènin).

9News Nigeria

9News Nigeria

ABIDJAN (9News Nigeria) – Ivory Coast’s Vice President Daniel Kablan Duncan has resigned, President Alassane Ouattara’s office said on Monday.

Patrick Achi, the secretary-general of the presidency, told reporters that Kablan Duncan, who previously served as Ouattara’s prime minister, was leaving for personal reasons.

His resignation comes days after the sudden death last week of Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, who was also the ruling party’s candidate for October’s presidential election.

Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Writing by Aaron Ross; Editing by Jon Boyle

9News Nigeria

9News Nigeria

ABIDJAN (9News Nigeria) – Leaders from Ivory Coast’s ruling party agreed at a closed-door meeting late Wednesday to press President Alassane Ouattara to seek a third term in October’s election following the sudden death of Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, two sources said.

Ouattara announced in March that he would not stand for re-election after 10 years in office and designated Gon Coulibaly, his closest political ally, as the RHDP party’s candidate.

Gon Coulibaly’s death on Wednesday, less than a week after he returned to Ivory Coast from an extended medical leave in France for heart issues, left the RHDP scrambling to choose a replacement.

The election is expected to be the most hotly contested since 2010, when Ouattara’s victory over incumbent Laurent Gbagbo sparked a brief civil war in which 3,000 people died.

A small group of senior RHDP leaders, presided over by the party’s executive secretary, Adama Bictogo, met informally on Wednesday, said the two sources, both party members, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“We think unanimously that only President Ouattara can carry the flag. He alone can unite us,” said one of the sources. “It is true that he said he did not want to be a candidate, but the situation has changed.”

A more formal leadership meeting is planned for Thursday, the sources said. The deadline to submit the candidate’s name is July 31.

The presidency declined to comment on Thursday.

Ouattara has previously said he would prefer to hand over power to a new generation but that he has the right to run again under a new constitution adopted in 2016. His opponents dispute that.

“He has always been a unanimous choice within his own camp. But (running again) would be extremely dangerous, particularly vis-a-vis the opposition, which would find a common enemy,” said Rinaldo Depagne, International Crisis Group’s West Africa project director.

The RHDP candidate will face off against former President Henri Konan Bedie, who declared his candidacy last month, while other politicians could join the race ahead of the filing deadline.

Additional reporting and writing by Aaron Ross in Dakar; Editing by Bate Felix and Frances Kerry

9News Nigeria

9News Nigeria

Popular Ivorian musician, Houon Ange Didier , popularly known as DJ Arafat is dead.

The 33-year-old with a huge following in francophone Africa, has died after a road accident in Abidjan, the state broadcaster RTI said on Monday, August 12, 2019.

The bike accident occured Sunday night in Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire. “Death of artist DJ Arafat… today at 8am as a result of a road accident overnight,” the state broadcaster tweeted.

Reports say, he had been driving a motorbike and smashed into a car.

Critically injured and unconscious, he was taken to an Abidjan hospital, where he later died.

Born in Abidjan in 1986, DJ Arafat real name,Ange Didier Huon — was avidly followed in French-speaking western and central African countries.

He issued 11 albums, mainly of “coupe-decale” — a dance music form combining choppy rhythms with hip-hop-style vocals.

Ivorian Culture Minister Maurice Kouakou Bandaman expressed his condolences and said a tribute would be organized to honour the musician.

fellow artists and fans are paying tribute to the fallen star on their social media handles.

9News Nigeria

9News Nigeria

ABIDJAN (Reuters) – A Eurobond that Ivory Coast launched this month raised $1.25 billion in 16-year debt and 625 million euros in 8-year paper, the prime minister said on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly said the “success of the operation bears witness to the confidence of international markets in the leadership of President Alassane Ouattara,” according to a statement from his office.

The Eurobond had originally been planned at $1 billion.

(Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; writing by Tim Cocks; editing by Mark Heinrich)

9News Nigeria

9News Nigeria

ABIDJAN  – Three demobilised ex-rebel fighters were killed in Ivory Coast’s second-biggest city of Bouake on Tuesday, as they clashed with police attempting to end their protest over bonus payments, the Interior Ministry and a spokesman for the fighters said.

The ministry added that 14 others were wounded in the clashes, four seriously.

French-speaking West Africa’s most important economy has rapidly recovered from a decade-long crisis that ended in a brief 2011 civil war, but unrest among mutinous soldiers and former rebels has exposed just how fragile those gains are.

Bouake was at the epicentre of two major army mutinies this year that revealed President Alassane Ouattara’s tenuous grasp on his military and associated armed groups.

The unrest also affected ports that ship cocoa out of the world’s leading producer, causing prices to briefly spike.

Tuesday’s violence erupted after former members of a northern rebellion who helped Ouattara to power in 2011 — and are demanding 18 million CFA francs ($30,800) as a reward — blocked the main southern entrance into Bouake.

Reuters TV images showed the ex-rebels erecting barricades out of tree branches and the Ivorian flag.

Amadou Ouattara, a spokesman for the ex-rebels, said policemen had fired teargas before shooting into the crowd.

“It was three demobilised fighters who were killed. They were unarmed,” he said. “The police started shooting tear gas … At the same time they started shooting (live bullets).”

A policeman on the scene in Bouake disputed that, saying the injuries were caused by a grenade the protesters had set off, a version of events later espoused by the Interior Ministry.

“Certain of the armed protesters set off an offensive grenade which exploded among them,” the ministry said in a statement. “The toll is three deaths and 14 wounded from fragments of the grenades.”

It added that three gendarmes and two police were also wounded by projectiles.

Ouattara’s government last week agreed to pay around 8,400 mutinying soldiers 5 million CFA each, ceding to their demands in order to end a four-day uprising that blocked roads and shuttered businesses in most cities and towns.

However, the deal risks angering other factions in the military, which is still riven by civil war-era divisions between ex-rebels and former loyalist soldiers.

Tuesday’s protesters were part of a group of some 6,800 combatants demobilised following the conflict but who claim they are still owed for their service.

“What we want is the same money that our brothers in the military received,” their spokesman Ouattara said.

9News Nigeria

9News Nigeria

Soldiers in Ivory Coast have accepted a deal to end a five-day mutiny over pay.

The government offered the mutineers an immediate bonus payment of five million CFA francs (£6500; $8,400) for the 8,400 mutineers and a further two million CFA francs at the end of June.

They had previously rejected a settlement put forward by the government on Monday night.

Since Friday soldiers have been shooting in the air and setting up road blocks.

One person was killed by a stray bullet on Sunday after mutinous troops seized control of Bouaké, the country’s second largest city.

The BBC’s Tamasin Ford reports from the commercial capital, Abidjan, that soldiers had been terrifying residents in major cities around the country over the last few days.

The former rebels, now embedded in the army, who fought for years to get President Alassane Ouattara to power, were angry at the scrapping of a deal agreed in January to give them back pay and bonuses.

On Tuesday the government finally gave in, giving them exactly what they want, our correspondent reports.

Image copyrightAFP

The mutineers helped the president take office in 2011. The former rebels make up about 8,400 of Ivory Coast’s 22,000-strong army.

Pro-government forces had backed off from advancing towards Bouaké, the epicentre of the mutiny, apparently because they want to avoid a fight, our correspondent adds.

On Sunday, armed forces’ chief of staff General Sékou Touré vowed to end the mutiny, but the mutineers said they would fight back if loyalist troops intervened.

Mutineers at the army headquarters in Abidjan’s financial district, near the presidential palace, had been shooting in the air, forcing schools and offices to shut.

Gunfire was also heard at the Akouedo barracks, in a suburb where many middle-class Ivorians and expats live.

Pro-government forces responded by closing roads in the city, while French troops were deployed to guard French-owned transport firm Bollore, a major investor in Ivory Coast.

Other areas hit by unrest included San Pedro, the biggest cocoa exporting city in the world, and Daloa, a major trading hub in Ivory Coast’s cocoa belt.

Source – BBC

9News Nigeria

9News Nigeria

The Ivory Coast government says it has reached a deal with soldiers involved in a four-day revolt over pay.

Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi appeared on state TV to announce a settlement had been reached.

But only minutes later two spokesmen for the rebels told Reuters there was no agreement. Mr Donwahi gave few details of the accord.

The dispute, over what the mutineers say are unpaid bonuses, began on Friday and spread through major cities.

Defying a government order to lay down their weapons, the soldiers opened fire in four cities on Monday.

Shots rang out near the presidential palace in the main city, Abidjan, the second city, Bouaké, and in areas vital to the cocoa industry.

The mutineers helped the president take office in 2011. The former rebels make up about 8,400 of Ivory Coast’s 22,000-strong army.

Announcing the putative deal, Mr Donwahi said: “After talks, an agreement has been reached on ways of ending the crisis.

“As a result, we appeal to all soldiers to free up the corridors (town entrances), return to barracks and respect peace”.

Rejecting the latest government announcement, two spokesmen for the rebel soldiers told Reuters they wanted more money.

One, Sgt Seydou Kone said: “They proposed five million CFA francs (each) to be paid tomorrow. But we want seven million to be paid in one payment and immediately.”

It is unclear how many of the soldiers the men are representing.

Pro-government forces had backed off from advancing towards Bouaké, the epicentre of the mutiny, apparently because they want to avoid a fight, the BBC’s Tamasin Ford reported earlier from Abidjan.

On Sunday, armed forces’ chief of staff General Sékou Touré vowed to end the mutiny, but the mutineers said they would fight back if loyalist troops intervened.

Mutineers at the army headquarters in Abidjan’s financial district, near the presidential palace, had been shooting in the air, forcing schools and offices to shut, our reporter says.

Gunfire was also heard at the Akouédo barracks, in a suburb where many middle-class Ivorians and expats live, she says.

Pro-government forces responded by closing roads in the city, while French troops were deployed to guard French-owned transport firm Bolloré, a major investor in Ivory Coast.

Sustained gunfire also broke out at the entrance and centre of Bouaké, which for many years was the main rebel-held city.

One person was killed by a stray bullet on Sunday after mutinous troops seized control of Bouaké.

Other areas hit by unrest include San Pedro, the biggest cocoa exporting city in the world, and Daloa, a major trading hub in Ivory Coast’s cocoa belt.

Cocoa is the West African state’s main foreign currency earner.

The mutiny has raised fears of a resurgence of the violence seen during Ivory Coast’s 10-year civil war, which ended in 2011.

Pro-Ouattara forces from Bouaké swept into Abidjan at the time, helping Mr Ouattara take office after his predecessor Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept defeat in elections.

Many of the rebels were rewarded for their backing by being given jobs in the army.

Source – BBC

9News Nigeria

9News Nigeria

In a brief statement, she “called upon the mutineers to end the shootings and threats to civilian lives… She admonished them to return to their barracks and resume negotiations for their compensation peacefully”.

9News Nigeria

9News Nigeria

ABIDJAN – Mutinous soldiers in Ivory Coast shot two people and cut off access to the second largest city, Bouake, on Saturday, as a nationwide revolt over demands for bonus payments extended into a second day despite government warnings of harsh punishment.

The revolt began in Bouake early on Friday before spreading quickly, following a similar pattern to a mutiny by the same group in January that paralysed parts of Ivory Coast and marred its image as a post-war success story.

Mutineers seized control of the national military headquarters and defence ministry in the centre of the commercial capital Abidjan on Friday.

They stepped up the pressure on Saturday, blocking roads out of Bouake, the epicentre of January’s uprising, and protesting in several other locations, including the northern city of Korhogo, where two men on a motorcycle were shot as they tried to force their way through a roadblock manned by the mutineers.

“They shot at them. They were wounded and transported to the hospital,” said witness Amadou Yeo, adding that the two men had been shot in the legs.

Also in Korhogo, soldiers fired into air to disperse a group of residents that had gathered to protest against the uprising, sending people fleeing home. Shops were shuttered and the streets were largely empty.

“We do not want to negotiate with anyone,” said Sergeant Seydou Kone, one of the leaders of the uprising, speaking by phone from Bouake. “We’re also ready to fight if we are attacked. We have nothing to lose.”

In a statement on state television late on Friday, Military Chief of Staff General Sekou Toure threatened the soldiers with severe disciplinary sanctions if they did not end the revolt.

Ivory Coast’s defence minister and government spokesman were not reachable for comment on Saturday.

The soldiers were promised bonus payments by the government after the January mutiny but it has struggled to disburse the money following a budget crunch caused by the collapse in the price of cocoa, Ivory Coast’s main export.

“WE WANT OUR 7 MILLION”

Ivory Coast has emerged as one of the world’s fastest growing economies following a decade-long political crisis ended by a 2011 civil war. But deep divisions persist, particularly in a military assembled from former rebel and loyalist combatants.

The government has already paid 8,400 soldiers – most of them former rebels who helped bring President Alassane Ouattara to power – bonuses of 5 million CFA francs ($8,371) each as part of a deal to end the January mutiny.

On Thursday, following a meeting with authorities in Abidjan, a spokesman for the group said they would forego demands for remaining bonuses of 7 million francs.

But that decision was rejected by some of the soldiers.

“We want our 7 million and that’s it,” said Kone.

Bouake residents said shops remained closed as soldiers fired weapons in the air and patrolled the streets in cars.

Mutineers also took control of the northern city of Odienne and there was sporadic gunfire in Daloa, the main cocoa growing hub in southwestern Ivory Coast, which is the world’s top producer of the chocolate ingredient.

Kone said the mutineers were also active in Man near the western border with Liberia, and Bondoukou in the east.

“Perhaps the government is tired of this, but they must sit down and talk,” said retired gendarme Valentin Sokoure, speaking near the military headquarters in Abidjan where the barricades had been removed Saturday morning. “I just want the government to negotiate with the mutineers.”

Source – Reuters

9News Nigeria

9News Nigeria

Mutinying soldiers left their barracks and blocked streets in several towns and cities across Ivory Coast on Friday, including the commercial capital, firing volleys of gunshots into the air as their protests over a pay dispute gathered momentum.

The uprising began overnight in Bouake, the second largest city, before spreading quickly. The soldiers, most of them ex-rebel fighters who helped bring President Alassane Ouattara to power, erected improvised barricades around the national military headquarters and sealed off part of downtown Abidjan.

The country’s National Security Council held an emergency meeting, a defence ministry source said.

The soldiers were revolting over delayed bonus payments, promised by the government after a nationwide mutiny in January but which it has struggled to pay after a collapse in the price of Cocoa, Ivory Coast’s main export, hurt national revenues.

On Thursday, a spokesman for 8,400 soldiers who took part in the January rebellion said they would forego demands for more money after meeting with authorities in Abidjan.

“That’s not what they were meant to say,” said one leader of the January mutiny who had remained in Bouake and asked not to be named, explaining the soldiers’ actions.

He said the mutineers would seal off access to Bouake in the evening if the authorities failed to respond.

OFFICE WORKERS FLEE

In Abidjan, office workers fled through the streets in the city’s administrative quarter as gunfire rang out.

A Reuters witness saw three pickup trucks carrying elite Republican Guard troops, who fired warning shots that pushed the mutineers back inside the military headquarters compound. A standoff in the heart of the city ensued.

President Ouattara, the defence and interior ministers and the security forces’ leadership convened an emergency meeting to discuss the uprising. Neither the defence minister nor the government’s spokesman were available for comment.

Mirroring the rapid spread of the January mutinies, troops in the towns of Odienne, Man, and Korhogo also took to the streets in protest, residents and military sources said.

“We’re still hearing gunfire. They are firing in the air. To be safe we are starting to send the children home from school,” said Sarah Toure, a teacher in Bouake, in the late morning.

Ivory Coast emerged from a 2002-2011 conflict as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. But deep divisions persist, particularly in a military assembled from ex-rebel and loyalist fighters, raising the spectre of lingering instability.

The government paid the 8,400 troops behind January’s rebellion bonuses of 5 million CFA francs ($8,370) each as part of an agreement to end that mutiny.

The soldiers were due a staggered payment of an additional 7 million CFA francs. But they said the government asked for a delay in payment to ease financial pressure on the Treasury, citing a collapse in cocoa revenues.

Source – Reuters

9News Nigeria

9News Nigeria

A court in Ivory Coast acquitted former First Lady Simone Gbagbo of crimes against humanity and war crimes charges linked to her role in a 2011 civil war that killed about 3,000 people, state television announced on Tuesday.

The trial, the West African nation’s first for crimes against humanity, was held in an Ivorian court after the government rejected her extradition to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

Gbagbo, who has often been absent from the trial on complaints of poor health, was not present for the verdict.

Her husband, ex-president Laurent Gbagbo, is standing trial before the ICC on similar charges connected to the brief conflict, which was triggered by his refusal to accept defeat to Ouattara in a 2010 presidential run-off election.

“We are happy. Since the start of the trial we proclaimed her innocence. The prosecution’s case against her was empty,” her lawyer Mathurin Dirabou told Reuters after the verdict was announced.

But Human Rights Watch said the judgement left “unanswered serious questions about her alleged role in brutal crimes.”

“The acquittal … reflects the many irregularities in the process against her,” Param-Preet Singh, Associate Director in Human Rights Watch’s International Justice program, said.

“The poor quality of the investigation and weak evidence presented in her trial underscore the importance of the ICC’s outstanding case against her for similar crimes.”

Simone Gbagbo had already been tried and convicted in March 2015 of offences against the state and sentenced to 20 years in prison, a jail term that was upheld on appeal this month.

Prosecutors in her war crimes trial alleged she was part of a small group of party officials from Gbagbo’s Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) which planned violence against supporters of Alassane Ouattara, who is now president, to stop him taking power.

“We regret this decision when we think of the many victims,” Soungalo Coulibaly, lawyer for the victims, told Reuters by telephone.

“If Simone Gbagbo is declared not guilty of these acts then who was? … The victims do not understand this decision.”

Source – Reuters

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ABIDJAN – Ivory Coast boss Marc Wilmots has made trying to persuade Yaya Toure out of international retirement one of his top priorities after taking over as coach of the former African champions this week.

“I’ve seen the last two games that he played for Manchester City in a defensive midfield position. He’s always great, he’s so good physically,” Wilmots told reporters after signing a two-year contract in Abidjan. “I’ll go see him, I’ll talk with him.”

Toure has not played for his country since leading them to the Nations Cup title in 2015. In his absence this year, the Ivory Coast crashed out in the first round as they defended their title in Gabon in January.

“…I know how important it is to have experienced players. It’s not yet over for Toure, we’ve got to get him back. The Yaya Toure case will be one of my first missions.”

The 48-year-old Wilmots, who quit as Belgium coach after their quarter-final exit to Wales at Euro 2016, takes over from Michel Dussuyer, who left after the Ivorians failed to retain their Nations Cup title.

“I do not know much about the country, but I have a lot of information about the national team, and I was very interested in the national team,” he said.

“They have a very good generation of players. I would say that this is a golden generation. When the challenge was offered to me, I thought why not?”

Source – Reuters

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Gendarmes fired shots into the air inside their camps in the Ivory Coast cities of Daloa, Man and the capital Yamoussoukro on Tuesday, witnesses said, raising fears of renewed unrest just as it seemed the government had settled a mutiny in the army.

It was not immediately clear why the gendarmes were shooting, but the incidents came just hours after the government began paying bonuses to soldiers who had staged a two-day mutiny this month.

“I don’t know why they are shooting, but we ran to get home. I live next to the camp. I can see them walking around inside the camp,” Yamoussoukro resident Francoise Koffi said.

While Yamoussoukro is officially Ivory Coast’s capital, the title is mainly ceremonial and all government ministries as well as parliament are located in the main commercial city, Abidjan.

“We’re shut inside at work. We were surprised by the shooting,” said Alphonse Konan, a resident of Man, near the western border with Guinea and Liberia. “All the shops have closed up. Cars aren’t circulating.”

Ivory Coast has emerged from a 2002-2011 crisis marked by two civil wars as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies under the leadership of President Alassane Ouattara.

However, it has struggled to contain growing unrest over the past two weeks as a strike by public sector workers’ had escalated and former rebel fighters, now integrated into the army, mutinied.

Soldiers poured out of their barracks and seized the second-largest city, Bouake, on Jan. 6, and the mutiny quickly spread, forcing the government to capitulate to the mutineers’ demands. [nL5N1EW3LJ]

Negotiators for the mutineers say that, among other promises, the government agreed to pay bonuses of 12 million CFA francs ($19,500) each to about 8,400 soldiers, beginning with an installment of 5 million.

Government officials have declined to reveal details of the deal. Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi would not confirm the payments being made but said the government planned to make a statement on the issue after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

“The treasury began transferring money into bank accounts last night, but not everyone has received their money for the moment,” Seydou Camara, a soldier who negotiated on behalf of the mutineers, said.

A second mutiny leader confirmed the payments had begun.

Donwahi led a delegation to Bouake on Friday for a second round of talks after the bonuses were not paid last week as expected, leaving the soldiers poised to relaunch their revolt.

Source: Reuters

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YAMOUSSOUKRO (Reuters) – Soldiers seized roads leading into the city of Korhogo in northern Ivory Coast late on Friday, a mutineer and a resident said, as disgruntled troops appeared to relaunch an army mutiny that paralysed much of the country last week.

“We’ve come back to the checkpoint because we don’t expect anything good from negotiations,” said the soldier. “We want our money. That’s why we are here.”

(Reporting by Ange Aboa; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Toni Reinhold)

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BAMAKO (Reuters) – Authorities in Mali have arrested a man believed to be linked to an al Qaeda attack on a beach resort town in neighbouring Ivory Coast that killed 19 people early last year, Malian security officials said on Thursday.

Gunmen shot swimmers and sunbathers in the town of Grand Bassam, 40 km (25 miles) from the commercial capital Abidjan, last March before storming into several hotels. [nL5N16M30G]

The suspect was arrested in the town of Gossi in northern Mali by French soldiers involved in a regional operation against Islamist militant groups and was then handed over to Malian authorities.

Defence ministry spokesman Colonel Aboudoulaye Sidibe gave the suspect’s name as Mimi Ould Baba Ould Cheick.

“He was arrested by the French forces and transferred to the gendarmerie, which is carrying out investigation to determine the degree of his implication in the attack. He’s being brought to (the capital) Bamako now,” he said.

The arrest was confirmed to Reuters by Security Minister Salif Traore.

Both Ivory Coast and Mali have arrested suspects in the wake of the attack. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Islamist group’s North African branch, claimed responsibility and said it was revenge for France’s military intervention in Mali. [nL5N16U5RI]

Eleven Ivorians, including three special forces’ soldiers, died in the attack. Four French citizens were killed and other foreign victims included citizens of Germany, Lebanon, Macedonia and Nigeria.

France intervened in Mali in 2013 to drive out Islamist fighters who had seized its desert north a year earlier. The intervention received support from Mali’s regional neighbours, including Ivory Coast, which hosts a French military base.

While the operation drove the insurgents from urban strongholds, Islamists are still present in northern Mali from where they have spread instability into neighbouring countries.

In the months before the attack on Grand Bassam, AQIM struck hotels and restaurants in Mali’s capital Bamako and neighbouring Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou, killing dozens of civilians.

(Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Tom Heneghan)

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ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara named a new, slightly smaller government on Wednesday, though there were few changes to major positions, according to a statement read on state-owned television.

The finance, budget and agricultural ministers held onto their jobs but Thierry Tanoh, the former head of pan-African Ecobank, replaced Adama Toungara as energy minister. Trade minister Jean-Louis Billon also lost his post.

Despite a two-day mutiny at the weekend that led to the dismissal of the heads of the army, police and gendarmes, the ministers of defence and the interior both kept their jobs.

The cabinet was reduced to 28 ministers from 35 in the previous government and includes seven new members.

Ouattara named Amadou Gon Coulibaly, a close adviser and senior figure in his RDR party, as prime minister on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Joe Bavier and Loucoumane Coulibaly; Editing by Louise Ireland)

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By Karin Strohecker

LONDON (Reuters) – Soldiers rampaging through Ivory Coast in a two-day mutiny have done little to dent investors’ faith that President Alassane Ouattara will retain control and push ahead with reforms in a country seen as a rare African success story of recent years.

Disgruntled soldiers demanding bonuses and wage rises kicked off a revolt on Friday in French-speaking West Africa’s largest economy. Troops in military camps across the country then joined the mutiny, the second in less than three years in the world’s top cocoa exporter.

The government conceded to the low-ranking soldiers’ demands and agreed to pay bonuses likely to cost state coffers tens of millions of dollars.

Yet Ivory Coast’s dollar-bonds maturing in 2024, 2028 and 2032 – the main exposure point of foreign portfolio investors to the western African nation – have edged down less than a couple of cents across the curve, according to data from Tradeweb.

“There is a great deal of confidence in President Ouattara himself and his ability to manage the country since he took over,” said Jan Dehn, head of research at emerging market focussed asset manager Ashmore.

“But it is also a relatively simple matter: Soldiers had not been paid their salaries for a couple of months, they got pissed off, they went out and caused some havoc…. They paid them the salary, and that is why things calmed down now.”

Ivory Coast emerged from a 2002-2011 political crisis as one of the continent’s rising stars with an economy that has grown by around 10 percent or just below annually in the four years to 2015, according to World Bank data.

It has been praised for structural reforms such as a sweeping overhaul of its cocoa sector and investment in infrastructure. In September, Washington lifted decade-old sanctions against the country citing the successful 2015 presidential election and progress in tackling illegal trafficking of arms and natural resources.

To reaffirm his control, Ouattara dismissed the heads of the army, police and gendarmes on Monday. Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan also resigned and dissolved the government.

The swiftness with which the mutiny was quelled also reassured investors, said Samir Gadio, head of Africa Strategy FICC Research at Standard Chartered Bank.

“What the market sees in Ivory Coast is an improving story in an environment where other Eurobond issuers actually have seen their fundamentals deteriorate in recent years,” he said.

“Investors have been constructive on Ivory Coast, they recognise that fundamentals have improved, that policy making is on track, and I don’t think that one-off event is going to lead to a significant reassessment of the country’s credit profile.”

African governments designated as frontier markets have been keen issuers on international capital markets in recent years, but momentum has ground to a halt amid soaring borrowing costs.

However some investors warn that Ouattara’s failure to rein in the army, cobbled together from rival rebel groups and government soldiers, could threaten economic recovery and political stability.

“This is a very unstable country – both politically and economically. Exports are heavily focused on certain commodities and institutions are very, very underdeveloped,” said Lutz Roehmeyer at Landesbank Berlin Investment.

While he was not looking to add to the small dollar-bond exposure he currently holds, Roehmeyer said having the West African CFA Franc currency pegged to the euro made local debt a more compelling investment opportunity.

Ivory Coast offered a yield of over 5 percent for a CFA issue in December. The government said last year it hoped to develop its local bond market and issue to foreign investors.

“If you look at other countries in Africa that had to devalue dramatically last year such as Egypt, Nigeria, Angola or Mozambique you see they already have dramatic problems and that the currency weakness is yet another issue weighing them down, which Ivory Coast does not have. It is a massive bonus to have a stable currency,” said Roehmeyer.

(Editing by Hugh Lawson)

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By Ange Aboa

ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara dismissed the heads of the army, police and gendarmes on Monday after a two-day military mutiny that spread unrest across the West African nation, according to a presidency statement.

Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan also resigned and dissolved the government, a move that had been expected after elections last month but which was delayed two days by the weekend uprising.

Disgruntled soldiers demanding the payment of bonuses and wage increases began their revolt on Friday, seizing control of Bouake, the second largest city, before troops in military camps in cities and towns across the country joined the mutiny.

Army chief General Soumaila Bakayoko – the former military head of a 2002-2011 rebellion, who has become increasingly unpopular with many troops – was replaced by his second in command, General Sekou Toure, the presidency statement said.

Gervais Kouakou Kouassi, superior commander of the National Gendarmerie, and Director General of the National Police Bredou M’Bia were also replaced by their deputies with immediate effect, according to the statement, read on national television.

The uprising of mainly former rebels now integrated into the army was the second such army mutiny in less than three years.

As happened in the first uprising, the government conceded to the low-ranking soldiers’ demands and agreed to pay bonuses likely to cost state coffers tens of millions of dollars.

Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi was briefly trapped inside the house in Bouake where negotiations took place on Saturday after some mutineers opened fire outside, having initially rejected the timetable for bonus payments.

“I assure you that the president of the republic understands you. He is a man of his word,” Donwahi said on Monday in a televised address aimed at the disgruntled soldiers.

He said he planned to return to Bouake on Friday to meet again with the mutinous troops.

UNSTABLE MILITARY PUTS ECONOMIC RECOVERY AT RISK

Years of conflict and a failure to reform the army, cobbled together from rival rebel groups and government soldiers, have left it hobbled by divisions.

Ivory Coast, French-speaking West Africa’s largest economy and world’s biggest cocoa producer, emerged from a 2002-2011 political crisis as one of the continent’s rising economic stars. But Ouattara’s failure to rein in an ill-disciplined, factionalised army could threaten that recovery.

Duncan, the outgoing premier, had been expected to stand down on Saturday but held off after the army mutiny erupted.

“I have tendered my resignation and that of the government,” he said after a meeting with Ouattara.

The president retained his majority in the Dec. 18 parliamentary vote. However, Ivorian legislative elections are usually followed by a change of government as a matter of procedure.

Ouattara was expected to name a new prime minister in the coming days.

Earlier, Guillaume Soro was re-elected as president of the National Assembly with 95 percent of the votes cast by deputies.

Soro led a rebellion that controlled the northern half of the country for nearly a decade starting in 2002. He later served as prime minister between 2007 and 2012.

The government’s dissolution paves the way for the implementation of measures contained in a new constitution.

Ouattara signed the new charter, which had been approved by referendum, into law in November, casting it as the way to ensure peace is maintained in Ivory Coast. [nL8N1D975N]

It modifies clauses in the old constitution that lay behind the conflict, especially concerning nationality requirements for presidential candidates.

(Additional reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; writing by Tim Cocks and Joe Bavier; editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Mark Heinrich)

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By Ange Aboa

BOUAKE, Ivory Coast (Reuters) – Rogue soldiers allowed Ivory Coast’s defence minister and dozens of others to leave a house where they had been trapped on Saturday when some mutineers appeared to reject aspects of a deal intended to end a two-day revolt, a Reuters witness said.

It remained unclear, however, whether the disgruntled soldiers – most of them former rebel fighters now integrated into the army – would honour the agreement announced by President Alassane Ouattara just hours earlier.

The mutiny began early on Friday when the soldiers seized Bouake, Ivory Coast’s second largest city. Over the next two days, soldiers at military camps in cities and towns across the country, including the commercial capital Abidjan, joined the mutiny.

Following talks between a government delegation headed by Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi and representatives of the mutineers, Ouattara announced he had agreed to some of the soldiers’ grievances but chastised them for sparking the unrest.

“I would like to say that this manner of making demands is not appropriate. It tarnishes the image of our country after all our efforts to revive the economy,” he said in a declaration that was broadcast on state-owned television.

A mutineer close to the negotiations said the soldiers were satisfied with the deal, which would address demands for bonus payments and improve living conditions, and said they were preparing to return to barracks.

But some of the renegade troops later opened fire outside the house in Bouake where the talks had taken place, trapping Donwahi, local officials, journalists and the mutineers’ own negotiators inside.

They were only allowed to leave several hours later.

“We are all out. The soldiers stepped aside and allowed us out. The minister took off from the airport,” said a Reuters reporter who had also been trapped inside the house.

A defence ministry statement later denied Donwahi had been held by the soldiers.

“The minister was in no way threatened by his soldiers but rather continued to carry out the talks,” the statement read.

Ivory Coast – French-speaking West Africa’s largest economy and the world’s leading cocoa producer – has emerged from a 2002-2011 political crisis as one of the continent’s rising economic stars.

But years of conflict and a failure to reform its army, thrown together from a patchwork of former rebel fighters and government soldiers, have left it with an unruly force hobbled by internal divisions.

The revolt comes two years after hundreds of soldiers barricaded roads in cities across Ivory Coast demanding back pay in a near identical uprising.

Then too the government agreed a deal that included amnesty from punishment and a financial settlement for the mutineers. The repeat of such a solution raises the risk they could be encouraged to do it again.

(Additional reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Additional reporting and writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Alison Williams and Chizu Nomiyama)

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By Ange Aboa

BOUAKE (Reuters) – The streets of Ivory Coast’s second-largest city Bouake were calm and the military presence was gone, residents said on Sunday, after a two-day soldiers’ mutiny calling for bonus pay and better living conditions took over the city.

The mutiny began early on Friday when rogue soldiers seized Bouake. Soldiers at military camps in cities and towns across the country, including the commercial capital Abidjan, joined the rebellion.

A deal was reached between the government and the soldiers late on Saturday after negotiations, and a mutineer close to the negotiations said on Sunday soldiers had returned to barracks.

“We have cleared the corridors everywhere as promised and we have been in barracks since last night,” Sergeant Mamadou Kone told Reuters. “I confirm that all over the country all our men have returned to barracks and wait for their money. The mutiny is over for us.”

He said the soldiers expect to be paid on Monday.

Traffic, snarled since Friday by roadblocks and barricades, was clear in Bouake, residents said, and the city was returning to normal. The gunfire of recent days had stopped.

“We spent a quiet night without shooting in the city and this morning we no longer see a soldier in the streets,” said resident Benoit Konan.

Other cities were also reported to be calm on Sunday, residents and Reuters witnesses said, including Abidjan, where a day earlier loyalist troops were deployed at strategic locations in the city and residents rushed to supermarkets to buy bottled water and other provisions.

There was no sign of military on the streets of Abidjan on Sunday. People were seen walking to church, shops were open and traffic moved as normal, a Reuters reporter said.

Ivory Coast – French-speaking West Africa’s largest economy and the world’s leading cocoa producer – has emerged from a 2002-2011 political crisis as one of the continent’s rising economic stars.

But years of conflict and a failure to reform its army, thrown together from a patchwork of former rebel fighters and government soldiers, have left it with an unruly force hobbled by internal divisions.

The revolt comes two years after hundreds of soldiers barricaded roads in cities across Ivory Coast demanding back pay in a near identical uprising.

Then too the government agreed a deal that included amnesty from punishment and a financial settlement for the mutineers.

(Additional reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly and Joe Bavier in Abidjan; Writing by Edward McAllister; Editing by Mark Potter)

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By Ange Aboa

BOUAKE, Ivory Coast (Reuters) – Gunfire broke out in Ivory Coast’s commercial capital, Abidjan, and other cities on Saturday, residents and soldiers said, as a revolt by military personnel demanding higher wages and bonuses appeared to gain momentum.

Loyalist troops sought to reinforce security in Abidjan. A Reuters reporter saw elite Republican Guard soldiers deployed on two of the three bridges spanning the lagoon that divides the city’s northern and southern halves. Members of a special police and military security unit were positioned near the third bridge, a second diplomat said.

The uprising began early on Friday when disgruntled soldiers seized Bouake, the second-largest city. Unrest spread to at least four other cities and towns later in the day, as the government sought to calm the unrest by promising talks with the mutineers.

However, heavy gunfire was heard during the night in the northern city of Korhogo and in early on Saturday in Bouake.

Residents and soldiers later reported shooting in Man, Toulepleu and at a major military camp in Abidjan, a city of nearly five million residents where the president, administration and parliament are based.

“Shooting has started in our camp too now,” said a soldier at the Akouedo military base located in a residential section of Abidjan. The gunfire was confirmed by a local resident.

A diplomatic source said armed dissident soldiers – some of whom blackened their faces with ashes or wore scarves around their heads – blocked a main road near the camp and threatened people in passing cars.

Abidjan residents, meanwhile, rushed to supermarkets to buy up bottled water and other provisions, fearing violence could eventually paralyse the city.

Ivory Coast – French-speaking West Africa’s largest economy – has emerged from a 2002-11 political crisis as one of the continent’s rising economic stars.

However, years of conflict and a failure to reform its army, thrown together from a patchwork of former rebel fighters and government soldiers, have left it with an unruly force hobbled by internal divisions.

STANDOFF

A Reuters reporter in Bouake, who met some of the mutineers, said they were composed of low-ranking soldiers but also included some demobilised combatants.

Nearly all appeared to be former members of the New Forces rebellion, which had used Bouake as its de facto capital and controlled the northern half of Ivory Coast from 2002 until the country was reunited following a 2011 civil war.

The rogue soldiers remained on the streets of Bouake on Saturday despite pledges made to local officials seeking to mediate late on Friday that they would return to barracks.

“They are maintaining their positions. They are still at the entrances to the city and at the central roundabout,” a local journalist told Reuters, asking that his name not be used due to fear of reprisal.

Troop reinforcements were sent towards Bouake after word of the revolt reached the army headquarters in Abidjan, creating a standoff with renegade soldiers holding positions at the entrance to the city.

Soldiers from the country’s U.N. peacekeeping mission were also blocked on the outskirts of Bouake on Saturday after mutineers refused to allow them to enter.

Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi in a statement late on Friday called for calm and said the government was prepared to listen to the soldiers’ grievances after the uprising spread to other cities including Daloa, Daoukro and Odienne.

Calling the revolt “understandable but deplorable for the image of the country”, he said he was due to travel to Bouake on Saturday to speak directly with the mutineers.

During a similar uprising in 2014, when hundreds of soldiers barricaded roads in cities across Ivory Coast demanding back pay, the government agreed a financial settlement.

President Alassane Ouattara, who convened an emergency meeting with Donwahi and top military officers late on Friday to discuss the revolt, travelled to neighbouring Ghana for the swearing in of its new president. He was due to return to Abidjan late afternoon for a special cabinet meeting.

(Additional reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Additional reporting and writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Dale Hudson and Stephen Powell)

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BOUAKE, Ivory Coast (Reuters) – Ivory Coast Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi arrived in Bouake, the country’s second largest city, on Saturday to meet with disgruntled soldiers behind a revolt that has spread across the West African nation.

“I came, as promised, to meet with our brothers. I am there to reassure them, as the president asked me to,” he said before meeting with the mutineers. “We are going to listen and find a solution.”

(Reporting by Ange Aboa; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Tim Cocks and John Stonestreet)

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By Ange Aboa

BONGOUANOU, Ivory Coast, Dec 16 (Reuters) – Standing on stage before a crowd of several thousand supporters last week, Pascal Affi N’Guessan was on a mission to lead the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), Ivory Coast’s main opposition party, out of its wilderness years.

“The boycott is over,” he said, imploring the crowd to use their votes in Sunday’s parliamentary polls to end President Alassane Ouattara’s allies’ near-monopoly in the legislature. “There’s no one there to oppose them. That’s not normal.”

The FPI will field 186 candidates for the 255 parliament seats, signalling a return to the political mainstream it has largely shunned since a 2011 war ousted President Laurent Gbagbo, its founder.

Ouattara’s coalition is pledging to deliver more of the kind of rapid economic growth that has drawn a flood of foreign investment to French-speaking West Africa’s largest economy since the war ended.

N’Guessan’s FPI argues, however, that growth is simply papering over old wounds left over from the crisis years, and that without a strong counterweight to Ouattara’s power there can be no long-term stability.

But if he is to capitalise on growing divisions within Ouattara’s political juggernaut, which holds around 85 percent of seats in the outgoing National Assembly, N’Guessan will have to overcome the FPI’s own internal split.

Over 3,000 people were killed in the conflict sparked by Gbagbo’s refusal to accept his defeat to Ouattara in a presidential run-off in late 2010.

Since then, the world’s top cocoa-growing country has experienced a strong economic revival under Ouattara, but rights groups complain that national reconciliation has stalled.

N’Guessan, like most FPI leaders, was jailed after the war. He was released in 2013, but many opposition supporters remain in prison.

An October referendum on a new constitution was criticised by many Ivorians, as well as some civil society groups and diplomats, as a unilateral initiative of Ouattara and his allies.

“NOT MY PRESIDENT”

“I will vote for Affi because I think an FPI with lots of MPs in parliament will balance the debate,” said Joseph Kouyouan, 40, at N’Guessan’s rally in the town of Bongouanou, his home constituency.

Ouattara’s coalition, the RHDP, decided to field a unified list of candidates for the elections, leading to horse-trading over which member parties will be allowed to contest which seats.

Two smaller coalition members quit the RHDP over the manner in which constituencies were divided up. Their two ministers were fired.

Disgruntled coalition members have caused the number of independents to balloon. Some 741 will appear on Sunday’s ballots, constituting more than half of all candidates seeking seats.

“I know that I have the support of the people, who are coming out to my rallies,” said Yamina Ouegnin, an incumbent MP who was left off the ruling coalition’s list and is running as an independent.

It would seem an opportune time for the FPI to rejoin the political fray, but not all its supporters are on board with the idea.

For two years, the FPI has been split, with N’Guessan calling for it to contest polls and hardliners urging continued boycotts until Gbagbo – on trial at the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity – returns.

Many of the FPI’s traditional voters, particularly in Gbagbo’s native western Ivory Coast, have sided with the latter faction.

“Ouattara is not my president and Affi is not president of the FPI, so I’m not voting,” said Honore Bida, 44, a taxi driver from the Yopougon district of the commercial capital Abidjan. “I’ll stay home and drink my beer.” (Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

Reuters

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By Joe Bavier

ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Ivory Coast, the world’s leading producer of cashew nuts, has added bonus payments to existing tax breaks to drive a rapid expansion in local processing of the crop, company and government officials said on Friday.

Already the world’s top cocoa grower, Ivory Coast more than doubled its cashew output from 350,000 tonnes in 2009 to over 702,000 tonnes last year when it surpassed India in terms of raw production.

Earlier this month President Alassane Ouattara signed a new constitution into law, casting it as the way to a peaceful future after years of violent upheaval and renewing its attraction to foreign investors.

Locally processed nuts are already exempt from export tax and tax holidays have been brought in over the past five years for private investors.

Until recently, only a fraction of nuts were processed before export. But Ouattara has called for 100 percent of production to be processed domestically by 2020.

“The government is working on that, and we are the tool of the government,” Adama Coulibaly, the head of the Ivorian cotton and cashew marketing board, the CCA, told Reuters on the sidelines of a trade show in the commercial capital Abidjan.

In 2014, national processing capacity for cashew nuts was around 42,000 tonnes but has already more than doubled to 90,900 tonnes this year. Coulibaly said it is on track for 214,500 tonnes in 2017.

From this season, companies will also receive a government bonus payment of 400 CFA francs ($0.65) for every kilogram of processed cashews they export. The measure is due to last five seasons with the possibility of a two-year extention, Coulibaly said.

The combination of these incentives now make Ivory Coast competitive with major processing hubs India and Vietnam where costs are lower, said Suraj Rao, vice-president of the Ivorian cashew exporters association.

“When there is political will, corporate will will follow. If the government is ready to support us, we are ready to invest,” said Rao, who is also country director for Export Trading Group (ETG).

ETG plans to open two or three processing plants, each with capacity of around 10,000 tonnes, in different parts of Ivory Coast.

The sheer size of its cashew crop, which continues to grow at around 10 percent annually, and its location make Ivory Coast a logical hub for exports to expanding markets in Europe and North America, exporters said.

“There is no other place with this abundance of raw material,” said Partheeban Theodore, Ivory Coast country manager for Olam International which runs facilities with processing capacity of 40,000 tonnes.

“We definitely find it more attractive to expand our processing, and I am sure it will encourage others.”

($1 = 617.6000 CFA francs)

(Reporting by Joe Bavier; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)

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ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST — Ivory Coast voters have approved a new constitution, the electoral commission announced Tuesday. However, the opposition — which had called for a boycott — is contesting the 42 percent official turnout as inflated and, therefore, not legitimate.

After two days of tallying the votes, the electoral commission’s official results show 93 percent of voters were in favor of the new constitution, which creates a post of deputy president, sets up a senate, and softens a controversial clause on nationality. The change also removes the age limit of 75 for presidential candidates.

FILE – Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara, left, and his wife, Dominique Ouattara, cast their ballots during the Ivory Coast referendum in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Oct. 30, 2016.

The opposition contested the vote, saying the new constitution was a move by Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara to reinforce the ruling party’s grip on the institutions. An opposition coalition had called for a boycott of the election, making the turnout the key element for the legitimacy of the poll.

While the ballots were still being counted, some opposition leaders claimed the turnout was between 5 and 7 percent.

But official results in some areas show a higher participation rate than during last year’s presidential elections, which prompted opposition leaders to assert the results were inflated.

“Everybody saw the electoral desert of October 30,” said opposition member Bamba Morifere. “Ivorians didn’t go to the polls. Mr. Ouattara gave an order to inflate the participation rate. We will not recognize this number, and we’re calling for the people to resist this imposture.”

The electoral commission is to send the results to the Constitutional Court for review.

– voa

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ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Voters in Ivory Coast cast their ballots on Sunday in a referendum to decide whether to approve a new constitution that President Alassane Ouattara argues will guarantee peace in the wake of years of political turmoil.

Under Ouattara, Ivory Coast has made an impressive recovery since a 2011 civil war capped a decade-long crisis. The International Monetary Fund projects it will be Africa’s fastest growing economy this year.

Despite five years of peace, however, Ivorians remain deeply divided along political and ethnic fault lines. And both they and the investors who are now flooding in crave the stability that will allow the world’s top cocoa grower to cement its status as the continent’s rising star.

“It’s a good constitution that will change the country,” said Assana Toure, 60, who voted early on Sunday in the Yopougon neighbourhood of the commercial capital Abidjan. “There will no longer be disagreements over a lot of things.”

Opposition parties have called for a boycott, arguing that the new text was designed to further entrench Ouattara’s political coalition. And so, while the “yes” vote is heavily favoured, turnout will be key to determining whether the text has the widespread backing of the people.

The current constitution, drafted under military rule after a 1999 coup, was at the heart of Ivory Coast’s prolonged unrest.

In its most controversial clause, it says presidential candidates’ parents must both be natural born Ivorians – a deliberate swipe at northerners, many of whom, like Ouattara, have family ties that straddle the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali.

The new constitution scraps that rule, which was used to disqualify Ouattara from a poll in 2000, and now only one parent must be Ivorian. It also creates a post of vice president and a senate. The president says all these new measures will guarantee more political stability.

However, the new text also allows future changes to the constitution to go ahead without a referendum and with just a two thirds majority in parliament – a body now heavily dominated by Ouattara’s allies – a fact that has raised concern among some rights groups.

Some civil society groups and diplomats, meanwhile, have criticised the process of drafting the text and submitting it to a plebiscite as rushed and lacking transparency. Voters have had just two and a half weeks to review the 184-article charter.

Rights groups also worry that a two-ballot system introduced for the referendum – whereby voters receive a ‘yes’ and a ‘no’ ballot, instead of one paper with a box to sign their preference – could open the door to fraud during the vote. Ouattara dismissed that concern as unfounded during a meeting with civil society leaders last week.

(Reporting by Joe Bavier and Loucoumane Coulibaly; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Susan Fenton)

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ABIDJAN — A vote on whether to change the constitution is set for Sunday in Ivory Coast, but a lack of public debate about the issues has left many voters frustrated.

“We are not informed,” one man said, after being visited by a member of a civil society group working to spread the word on the proposals. “My parents call me from the village, they are not informed. My dad tells me ‘What do I vote for? A text I don’t know the content of?’ We need to be informed in local languages, so my dad can know what he should do.”

The government put the full draft online in French, but the outreach has fallen short, as half of Ivorians are illiterate and many others have limited access to the internet. As for newspapers, many people only read the front pages, which are displayed at the newsstands for free.

Supporters of Ivory Coast’s opposition hold placards as they protest during a political rally ahead of the referendum on a new constitution, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Oct. 28, 2016.

Consequently, many potential voters are unaware that the proposed changes in the new constitution include the creation of a senate and a position of deputy president, and the softening of a controversial clause on nationality, which contributed to years of political unrest in the West African nation.

The “vote yes” campaign, however, has been impossible to miss. Big billboards reading “I vote yes to modernity, to development, to social cohesion, to peace” can be seen all across Abidjan.

“There is no debate, all I hear is ‘yes,’” one woman said. “If there was a debate, with each side saying why we should vote yes or no, that would help. We’ve already accepted the yes, since it’s the only thing that we hear.”

The opposition asserts that the coverage of the campaign has been unbalanced, with the government monopolizing radio and TV.

“We only have the street to express our point of view, so that’s what we’re doing,” said opposition member Jean-Gervais Tcheide.

FILE – Ivory Coast riot policemen disperse opposition supporters with tear gas during a march to protest against Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara’s new constitution in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Oct. 20, 2016.

The opposition has rejected the proposal for changes on grounds there has not been a national consensus around it. Some leaders are calling for a boycott of the ballot box Sunday, while others are campaigning for the referendum to be canceled.

Last week, Ivorian authorities dispersed an opposition protest with tear gas and arrested dozens of people. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called for authorities to respect the right to freedom of expression and association.

“I don’t feel concerned,” one man in Abidjan said about the outcome of the vote. “That new constitution is useless.”

Next to him, another man interjects.

“It’s one of the most important for the evolution of our country,” he said. “Even more so that the presidential elections. We elect a president for five years, but this new constitution might stay on for decades to come.”

The result of Sunday’s vote is expected to be known by the middle of next week.

VOA

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(Adds quote from energy ministry and details of investors)

ABIDJAN Oct 5 (Reuters) – Ivory Coast plans to invest almost $1 billion in oil product pipelines and storage in a bid to create the largest fuel hub in sub-Saharan Africa, its energy ministry said late on Tuesday.

Demand for fuels is booming in Africa, especially for transport fuels diesel and gasoline due to a rising population. The majority of those fuels are currently imported due to limited refining capacity.

“The mass storage company will be tasked with building 1.5 million cubic metres (nearly 1.2 million tonnes) of storage by 2020, making Ivory Coast the “Rotterdam” of Africa and the biggest oil product market in sub-Saharan Africa,” the statement said, referring to the giant storage hub in Europe.

The storage company will invest 420 billion CFA Francs ($718.46 million) and the transport company will invest 150 billion ($256.59 million).

A dozen investors have shares in the two new companies, including French oil major Total and French industrial conglomerate Bollore, it said.

It named other investors as: Vivo, Puma, Sahara, IPSL, Agility, Petro-Ivoire, Oil Libya, Sonabhy, Petroci and Mali. ($1 = 584.5800 CFA francs) (Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Writing by Emma Farge; Editing by Louise Heavens)

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ABIDJAN (Reuters) – A bridge on the railway linking Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso collapsed on Tuesday and it will be several months before the trade route between the two countries is fully restored, said Sitarail, a unit of the Bollore group.

Nobody was injured when a bridge over the River Nzi close to Dimbokro in central Ivory Coast collapsed and officials are inspecting the damage before starting repairs, Sitarail said in a statement.

The railway was built by French colonizers to link the port city of Abidjan with Niamey, Niger, via the Burkina Faso capital, Ouagadougou.

Burkina Faso exports cotton and manganese to Abidjan along the 1,260-km (780-mile) railway and imports oil, cement, merchandise and fertilizer to the town of Kaya.

Sitarail said the railway carried 200,000 people in 2015 and 900,000 tonnes of freight.

(Reporting by Ange Aboa; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Peter Cooney)

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By Ange Aboa and Joe Bavier

MONT PEKO NATIONAL PARK, Ivory Coast(Reuters) – Before the morning mists had broken over Ivory Coast’s Mont Peko National Park, thousands of newly homeless cocoa farmers and their families began to stir, fetching water and lighting cooking fires outside Sylvain Zongo’s church at the forest edge.

“I don’t know what I am going to do. All I can do is pray to God, otherwise it breaks my heart,” the pastor said, surveying a scene more evocative of the West African nation’s civil war years than its relative prosperity today.

This is the human toll of a government crackdown on illegal farmers that could leave hundreds of thousands destitute, dent gross domestic product and inflame tensions left over from years of unrest.

It is the consequence of what may be Ivory Coast’s last chance save the most rapidly disappearing forest in Africa, home to endangered chimpanzees, forest elephants and the rare pygmy hippopotamus.

Since independence in 1960, Ivory Coast has built its economy – French-speaking West Africa’s largest – on cash crop agriculture, growing about 40 percent of the world’s cocoa, which makes up some 15 percent of its GDP.

While the chocolate ingredient helped it become a relatively prosperous nation in a desperately poor region, it also brought it to the brink of an ecological disaster.

Ivory Coast lost 80 percent of its virgin forest between independence from France in 1960 and 2010, according to the European Union. Another study by Ivorian and French scientists estimated it had the highest rate of deforestation in Africa – with 265,000 hectares cleared annually by 1999 – even before the onset of political unrest that accelerated the destruction.

LAWLESSNESS

During the 2002-2011 crisis, which included two civil wars, park rangers and forest officials abandoned areas they were protecting.

The 34,000-hectare Mont Peko, which means “mountain of hyenas” in the local Guere language, became a symbol of the lawlessness that reigned during that period as armed warlords seized control of the land and sold off parcels, many to immigrants from neighbouring countries.

The government crackdown in Mont Peko is a significant step in ending illegal cocoa farming in Ivory Coast’s eight national parks, five nature reserves and 231 forest reserves.

Annual production in Mont Peko alone reached around 10,000 tonnes, worth over $28 million in export value, a U.N. panel of experts said in a report in March, though some exporters say the tonnage figure may be double that.

The government had repeatedly told illegal farmers to leave the park since 2012, but had not enforced its demand. On July 30, it formally issued a decree of eviction and sent in troops to clear plantations, destroying cocoa trees and settlements that housed tens of thousands of people.

“We must end impunity and we dare to hope that we will finish this once and for all,” said park ranger Kpolo Ouattara, as his men pulled down the remnants of the camp of Amade Oueremi, the park’s most notorious warlord and a major illegal cocoa grower, who was arrested in 2013.

The evictions mirrored those that have taken place in parks and reserves across the country since 2013, as the government has come under pressure from international donors including the European Union to act to protect its natural resources.

Tens of thousands of illegal farmers and their dependents have already been removed, and forestry officials say hundreds of thousands remain to be evicted.

A survey by scientists from the Ivory Coast and United States last year in 23 protected areas found that 13 had lost their entire primate populations while five others had lost about half. Nearly three-quarters of forests surveyed had been cleared of their forests and become cocoa plantations.

The study estimated annual cocoa production from those 23 areas alone at 195,600 tonnes, equal to around 13 percent of national output.

“It’s inevitable that production will fall with the eviction of the farmers,” said Ali Lakiss, managing director of SAF Cacao, a cocoa exporter.

But scientists say the cost of doing nothing could be greater and its negative impact on cocoa production could be permanent.

Karim Ouattara of the Swiss Centre for Scientific Research in Ivory Coast, one of the institutions behind the survey, said the near total disappearance of forests in eastern Ivory Coast – once its main cocoa production zone – several decades ago destroyed microclimates and altered rainfall patterns.

“It (changes in rainfall patterns) led to a drop in cocoa and coffee yields. That’s why it is now referred to as the former cocoa belt,” he said. “I think the government is beginning to understand … the consequences of the destruction of the forest.”

‘I’M RUINED’

The bulk of Ivory Coast’s roughly 1 million cocoa farmers ply their trade legally, outside protected areas. There are no precise estimates of the number of illegal farmers.

In the short run, the human cost of the evictions is plain. The United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated last month that as many as 53,000 people had been driven from Mont Peko since July.

“I came here because I was poor and dreamed of a new life. I spent all my savings to get some land,” said cocoa farmer Vincent Bingoure, holding back tears as he wandered through the charred remains of the village where he lived inside the park.

“Today, I’m ruined.”

Disputes over land in the western cocoa belt have long pitted indigenous groups against farmers, most of whom have migrated from elsewhere in the country and wider region.

The area was the scene of some of the deadliest violence during the two wars and it is here that the bulk of evictions are planned.

Without alternatives, some fear the displaced will spill into the surrounding communities, causing friction in a part of Ivory Coast where post-war reconciliation is already struggling.

“It’s creating a situation where one spark would be enough to create serious levels of tension and violence,” said Louis Falcy, country director for aid organisation the International Rescue Committee, adding that authorities needed to integrate evicted farmers.

Law enforcement agents take a tougher line.

Kpolo Ouattara, in charge of Mont Peko services, said the authorities had been telling the farmers they needed to leave for nearly four years.

“Of course some will fail to understand, there will be outlaws,” he said. “We must make an example of them.”

(Editing by Tim Cocks and Pravin Char)

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