Military move “to re-establish order” in Ivory Coast after mutiny

Loyalist troops in Ivory Coast have launched an operation “to re-establish order” following a three-day mutiny by soldiers who are rebelling over pay and have refused army demand to lay down arms.

A statement to that effect was released by the Military Chief of Staff General Sekou Toure who announced the new offensive as loyalists advance on Bouake, the second commercial city of Ivory Coast.

“These acts of an extreme seriousness are contrary to the mission of protection assigned to the armed forces,” the statement said. “As a result, a military operation is under way to re-establish order.”

Only yesterday, five victims sustained gun wounds during an anti-mutiny protest in Ivory Coast as popular opposition over the three-day nationwide strike embarked by soldiers gathered momentum.

Reports say heavy gunfire erupted in the city centre of Bouake early on Sunday as the soldiers sought to disperse crowds of residents who were attempting to organise a march against the mutiny.

“The population rose up, but the mutineers quickly dispersed the march with shots,” said Bouake resident Simon Guede. “Everything is closed. No one is in the streets except the soldiers and a few protesters.”

The unrest broke out hours after national television broadcast a ceremony in which a spokesman for 8,400 mutinous soldiers apologised to Ouattara for a rebellion in January, and dropped demands for extra pay.

Reports say 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, a development which has not gone down well with the soldiers and has now caused a mutiny.

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