Côte d'Ivoire: Are criminal gangs sowing chaos in the demonstrations?

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

At the call of several opposition parties, the marches are increasing to contest the possibility for President Alassane Ouattara to run for a third term. These gatherings are dispersed more or less violently depending on the region by the security forces. Clashes are also to be deplored. The opposition accuses the authorities of being at the origin of these disturbances and of setting up militias to create panic.

Publicity

With our correspondent in Abidjan, Jenna Le Bras

It is a controversy that has been swelling for several days in Côte d'Ivoire. "  The microbes attack the demonstrators  " can be read on the front page of several dailies. The "microbes" are young men, often convicted, considered dangerous, sometimes paid by some leader to do his dirty works. Some are accused of having violently attacked the opposition marches against the third term of President Alassane Ouattara.

"  We found that indeed, microbes are conveyed to attack opponents," says Diack Gassama, part of the GPS movement (Generations and Solidarity Peoples) of Guillaume Soro. It is a totally grotesque situation. We have executives that are shut down while the germs are free.  "

" Strategy of terror "

"  There are signs that suggest that we are implementing a strategy of terror ," said Kouassi Lenoir, executive secretary of the PDCI (Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire) in charge of security. We spread the idea that "we are capable of doing wrong if you insist" and that to break our will for justice . "

For their part, the Ivorian authorities deny these accusations. "  These are baseless accusations, devoid of meaning, retorts Sidi Touré, spokesman for the government Until proven otherwise, we have not received any indications that give the veracity of all these different statements . "

Asked by RFI , Laurent Gbagbo's party has not yet taken official positions, but explains that the party "  notes the organized attacks against its peaceful supporters  ". Pascal Affi N'Guessan's FPI regrets “  this way of doing things  ” and calls for disputes to be settled by law and not by violence.

► (Re) listen: Survey on children "microbes" in Abidjan

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• Ivory Coast
• Criminality
• Alassane Ouattara

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