IVORY COAST: National funeral ceremony takes place for the four people killed in assassination attempt against Ivorian prime minister

Record ID: 181758

  • Title: IVORY COAST: National funeral ceremony takes place for the four people killed in assassination attempt against Ivorian prime minister
  • Date: 14th July 2007
  • Summary: STREET SCENES
  • Embargoed: 29th July 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA5V5465VLQGXP3E7RKYHOQCBHP
  • Story Text: The national funeral of the four victims of the assassination attempt on Prime Minister and former rebel leader Guillame Soro takes place in Abidjan.

    A national funeral ceremony for the four people killed in the assassination attempt against Ivory Coast's Prime Minister Guillaume Soro took place at Abidjan's Mayor's office on Friday (July 13).
    Unidentified attackers fired rockets at the Fokker 100 aircraft carrying Soro moments after it landed in the northern rebel stronghold of Bouake last month, threatening to delay already slow progress on a peace plan in the world's top cocoa grower.
    Ivory Coast has asked the United Nations to investigate the assassination attempt against Soro, the former French colony's government said on Wednesday (July 11) .
    Soro, leader of the New Forces rebels, was made prime minister in April under a deal to reunite the West African country, split in two since the rebels seized its northern half during a brief 2002-03 civil war.
    Many observers suspect disgruntled rebels of the attack on their leader in a bid to thwart progress on a deal which would call on them to disarm and forfeit power, status and wealth.
    Others suspect it could have been carried out by sympathisers of his former arch-enemy, President Laurent Gbagbo.
    Abidjan's residents believe that one way or another the peace process has been badly affected, even though Soro escaped unhurt.
    "I think the Bouake attack did damage the peace process. Luckily it didn't happen in Abidjan, the effects would have been even worse," said driver Claude Yao.
    "It's regrettable, we should hope that the people regain confidence, and that people banish all suspicions in order to give the peace process a chance," said another Abidjan resident, Mathieu Kablan.
    "We must be honest, the peace process has taken a hit, and because of that there is a lot of distrust. We noticed that the Prime Minister stayed in Bouake for a few days, and we were afraid he was there to regroup," Kablan added.
    Several more people were injured in the attack, and the four coffins will be sent to their families for burial in their village, following Friday's ceremony. Soro has denied his military chiefs were involved and both he and Gbagbo have said the incident has stiffened their resolve to press on with the peace process.
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