NATIONAL PRESS REVIEW FOR TUESDAY, 27 DECEMBER 2011
Yopougon/ UNOCI - FRCI altercation: three (3) FRCI arrested and disarmed.
Le Nouveau Courrier – Three FRCI were arrested yesterday at Yopougon Sideci and five of them fled when they came across a UNOCI patrol. The FRCI elements were equipped with war weapons used to create illegal checkpoints to get money from drivers. As UNOCI forces were patrolling in this zone they encountered them and asked them which army battalion they were from. As the FRCI were unable to give appropriate answers to UNOCI forces, they were asked to give up their weapons. The FRCI soldiers refused. It followed an altercation between FRCI and UNOCI forces. Three FRCI were disarmed and forcibly taken to the staff. Five elements ran away with of course the weapons and ammunition in their possession. The 48-hour ultimatum expired long ago and "undesirable" FRCI continue to "haunt" the streets of Abidjan and Ivorian cities at the cost of people’s life.
Clashes between FRCI and young people of Sikensi: Four people died and thirteen other were wounded.
Fraternité Matin – An altercation between a soldier of the Republican Forces of Cote d’Ivoire and a young man led to a huge conflict between FRCI and inhabitants of Sikensi with four dead and thirteen wounded this week end. The conflict started when in a bar a young man called Guy Bébé from Sikensi argued with an FRCI about a young lady. The FRCI hit Mr. Guy with a bottle and wounded him. His friends to express their anger erected roadblocks. This situation worsened, when the protesters started to march towards the FRCI headquarters. Among these protesters, according to police sources, two were killed and 13 wounded by gunshot and machetes. Some were treated at a clinic in Sikensi, while others were evacuated to Abidjan. Two elements of the FRCI also died. An inter-ethnic clashes also broke out between Abidji and Malinké, when young people of Dioulabougou removed the barricade near their homes. The protesters saw this as a provocation. Local authorities, the gendarmerie, local police and UN police put an end to these hostilities. FRCI were invited to leave the city after the visit of the Minister of defense, Paul Koffi Koffi.
Soro to the gendarmes: "We cannot accept the mistakes of the first few days"
Fraternité Matin - Six months after the establishment of the government, Ivorians have the right to notice and feel a significant improvement in their security. We can no longer accept the errors of the first few days." This is the basic message the Prime Minister, Defence Minister, Guillaume Soro, sent the police on December 24. That day, Guillaume Soro met with the commander, commanders of legions, and the head of the schools gendarmerie and the special units of the gendarmerie. After the meeting, the Prime Minister announced a big tour across the country "to speak to the troops" and the organization of meetings between "the police, the military and the people to explain their mission”. He stressed his commitment to implement the decisions of the President of the Republic to get impostors out of the FRCI. Guillaume Soro assured the Ivorian people that steps have been taken to enable them to spend the holidays in peace. "I can confirm that you can go and celebrate, if you want, 24/7. There is no problem. The police have set up an operation called "Operation Spider". If you are within the spider, nothing can happen to you," he said.
Tracking down dishonest FRCI - The head of Wattao’s security and a gendarme arrested
Notre Voie - (...) According to a press release, a copy of which reached us yesterday, the chief of Wattao’ security, Dramane Coulibaly alias Colonel Gas and a gendarme were arrested this weekend.
117 complaints on Wodié’s desk
Nord Sud -117 requests were received by the Constitutional Council, chaired by Francis Wodié after the parliamentary elections. They come from seventy (70) districts, according to an official of the institution. After the last release of the Constitutional Council, many unsuccessful candidates complete their files. Indeed, Wodié’s institution asked them to provide proof of their accusations.
Independent Electoral Commission- the RHDP wants a debate.
Nord Sud - The Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) wants a debate on the composition of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). Maurice Kacou Guikahue said "that for the composition of the IEC, it was said that the IEC in its composition should go to the end of the election, according to the agreements signed for the end of the crisis. Politics is the art of compromise and dialogue must be permanent in politics” he recently said to ONUCI-FM. He proposed that the President opened a debate on that matter.
Imprisoned for several months, General Guiai Bi Poin will be heard today.
Notre Voie – Imprisoned at MACA, General Guiai Bi Poin will be heard today by Ms. Cissé Makouéni, the head of the investigating judges in Abidjan court. The former head of the National School of Gendarmerie and the former CECOS was arrested following information according to which mass graves were discovered at the gendarmerie school. The investigations revealed that the information was wrong. As he was expecting to be free, the power found another charge against him.