Wednesday, 19 November 2014

Ivorian soldiers asked to end protests

Ivorian soldiers and their vehicles block one of the main streets to the "Le plateau" business district in Abidjan (18 November 2014)
 Soldiers disrupted traffic in Abidjan to demand that the government pay their allowances
 
Ivory Coast's defence minister, Paul Koffi Koffi, has ordered soldiers to return to barracks after they staged protests in at least two cities. 


Soldiers blocked roads in the main city Abidjan and the second city Bouake to demand unpaid allowances.

Mr Koffi promised that he would address their grievances.
It is the biggest protest involving the Ivorian military since President Alassane Ouattara took office in 2011, ending a civil war.
Bouake is a stronghold of the president, and the protest there suggests he is losing the confidence of some loyalists, correspondents say.
Soldiers sealed off roads around the offices of the national radio and television station in the city, said a witness, who spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity.

BBC

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