- Title: Ivory Coast defence minister in Bouake to talk to mutineers
- Date: 7th January 2017
- Summary: BOUAKE, IVORY COAST (JANUARY 7, 2017) (REUTERS) DEFENCE MINISTER'S CONVOY INSIDE PREFECTURE IVORY COAST DEFENCE MINISTER ALAIN-RICHARD DONWAHI (IN A BLUE SUIT) GREETED BY BOUAKE MAYOR NICOLAS YSSOUF DJIBO (WHITE SHIRT) AND PREFECT AKA KONIN (BLUE JACKET) MASKED MUTINYING SOLDIERS WHO TOOK OVER THE CITY STANDING WITH WEAPONS DONWAHI TALKING WITH MEN DONWAHI WALKING IN BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (French) IVORY COAST DEFENCE MINISTER, ALAIN-RICHARD DONWAHI, SAYING: "I am pleased to have arrived in Bouake as I promised. We had planned to hold talks with our men and that is why I am here with the president of the republic's decisions, to listen to them and to calm the situation. This is family so there are no problems." IVORIAN OFFICER LIEUTENANT COLONEL OUATTARA ISSIAKA ALIAS WATTAO WHO CAME WITH THE DEFENCE MINISTER STANDING INSIGNIA ON WATTAO'S UNIFORM SOLDIERS WHO CAME WITH THE MINISTER STANDING
- Embargoed: 22nd January 2017 14:28
- Keywords: Ivory Coast Bouake military Alain-Richard Donwahi mutiny
- Location: BOUAKE, IVORY COAST
- City: BOUAKE, IVORY COAST
- Country: Ivory Coast
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Insurgencies
- Reuters ID: LVA0015Y2YYBR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Ivory Coast Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi arrived in Bouake on Saturday (January 7) to meet with disgruntled soldiers behind a revolt that has spread across the West African nation. The rogue soldiers are demanding higher wages and bonuses.
"I am pleased to have arrived in Bouake as I promised. We had planned to hold talks with our men and that is why I am here with the president of the republic's decisions, to listen to them and to calm the situation. This is family so there are no problems," Donwahi said.
The uprising began early on Friday (January 6) when disgruntled soldiers seized Bouake, the country's second-largest city. Unrest spread to at least four other cities and towns later in the day, as the government sought to calm the unrest by promising talks with the mutineers.
Gunfire also broke out in Ivory Coast's commercial capital, Abidjan, and other cities on Saturday, residents and soldiers said.
Mutinying soldiers entered Ivory Coast's military headquarters and the compound housing the defence ministry on Saturday and were firing shots in the air, said a diplomatic source who saw them.
Ivory Coast - French-speaking West Africa's largest economy - has emerged from a 2002-11 political crisis as one of the continent's rising economic stars.
However, years of conflict and a failure to reform its army, thrown together from a patchwork of former rebel fighters and government soldiers, have left it with an unruly force hobbled by internal divisions. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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