Page 11 - aruba-today-20170107

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WORLD NEWS Saturday 7 January 2017

Soldiers mutiny in

three Ivory Coast

cities over pay

ALEXIS ADELE ed in skyscraper-lined Abi-
Associated Press djan.
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) That was the start of a civil
— Soldiers launched mu- war that ended months
tinies in three cities across later in a stalemate that
Ivory Coast on Friday, au- left rebels in control of the
thorities said, demanding northern half of the coun-
higher pay and bringing try, with their stronghold in
the threat of unrest back Bouake.
to Africa’s fastest-growing A breakthrough came in
economy. 2007 with a peace deal
Gunfire rang out across that saw rebel leader Guil-
Bouake, the second-largest laume Soro appointed
city in this West African na- prime minister in a unity
tion, starting around 1 a.m., government.
according to residents.
Similar mutinies erupted lat- The soldiers, however, now
er in Daloa, in the central say not all the promises In this file photo taken Friday, Oct. 23, 2015, Ivory Coast troops provide security during an election
region, and Korhogo in the made in that 2007 agree- rally of Ivory Coast incumbent President Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
north. ment were implemented. Associated Press
“They are heavily armed In more recent unrest,
and parading through the some 3,000 people died
city of Daloa,” said Karim in violence after longtime
Sanogo, a student who President Laurent Gbagbo
lives there. “Security forc- lost the 2010 presidential
es have abandoned their election and then refused
posts. Everyone has re- to cede power to victor
turned home to seek shel- Alassane Ouattara. After a
ter.” military intervention, Oua-
The armed men also con- ttara became president
trolled the main arteries of and Gbagbo now faces
Bouake that are used by charges at the Internation-
truck drivers to carry mer- al Criminal Court.
chandise from Mali and France has a military pres-
Burkina Faso. ence in Ivory Coast, with
This former French colony’s most of its 900 troops sta-
reputation as a model of tioned in and near Abidjan.
political stability in a re- It was not immediately
gion better known for con- known whether the Ivory
flict was shattered after its Coast government had
first coup in 1999. The crisis asked for their help Friday
reached rock-bottom in in calming the situation, as
2002, when fighting erupt- it has in the past.q