Abductions in Côte d'Ivoire: possible links of the kidnappers with terrorist groups?
An Ivorian soldier stands guard during the Prime Minister's arrival in Tougbo, a sub-prefecture located 10 km from the Burkinabe border, on January 22, 2022. AFP - SIA KAMBOU
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Since the beginning of the year, at least three people have been kidnapped in the region of Doropo, in the north of Côte d'Ivoire, on the border with Burkina Faso.
They were released against ransoms sometimes amounting to several million CFA francs.
Last year, at least five kidnappings committed by criminal groups were recorded, according to various sources.
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With our correspondent in Abidjan
,
François Hume-Ferkatadji
The population and security experts are worried about this new phenomenon and the links that the kidnappers could have with terrorist groups.
"
On market days, the population moves with fear in their stomachs
," says a local source.
In the department of Doropo, at least three kidnappings have been organized since the beginning of the year.
The latest dates back to the beginning of February.
The daughter of a wealthy gold digger was forcibly taken away by armed men disguised as police.
For each case, the method is similar.
The victims are generally wealthy traders from the Mossi community, or their relatives.
The hostages are taken to secret locations, before the kidnappers manage to contact the family to demand a ransom.
If the bidding starts at 50 or 70 million CFA francs, the victims are released after a payment of 3 to 8 million CFA francs in general.
Last year, a man was held in captivity for more than three months, blindfolded.
Youth president Mossi de Doropo was also kidnapped.
Researcher Lassina Diarra studied four cases of kidnappings that took place in 2021 in the Bouna-Doropo area.
Among these cases, at least one is the work of an armed jihadist group, the hostage having subsequently described the ideology of the kidnappers.
“
There is collusion between these criminal groups and terrorist groups.
It is a source of funding for the jihadists
, ”says the researcher specializing in security and defense issues.
"
The robbers take their time, even at the moment there are robberies and kidnapping attempts a few kilometers from Bouna
", explains a resident who regrets the inaction of the security forces.
Neither the army nor the Ivorian gendarmerie wished to communicate on this subject.
►Also read: Ivory Coast: an Ivorian soldier killed during an attack in the northeast of the country
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Ivory Coast
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