IVORY COAST: After week of intense fighting, Abidjan residents return to food markets to find hugely increased prices

Record ID: 181839

  • Title: IVORY COAST: After week of intense fighting, Abidjan residents return to food markets to find hugely increased prices
  • Date: 9th April 2011
  • Summary: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (APRIL 8, 2011) (REUTERS) MARKET WITH PEOPLE LOOKING TO BUY FOOD VARIOUS OF YOUNG MAN SELLING ATHIEKE (MANIOC BASED GRAIN) VARIOUS OF CASAVA SOLD IN MARKET (SOUNDBITE) (French) UNIDENTIFIED SHOPPER, SAYING: "We're really tired because we've been staying at home for so long without anything to eat, it was truly a dire situation, so we're tired of this. Today we're free, we want it to carry on like this. It was like a liberation, because we were locked up in our houses, like in prison. Today it's like they opened the gates of the prison, so you see, there are people in the streets." VARIOUS OF WOMEN BAKING AND SELLING DOUGHNUTS, PEOPLE CROWDING AROUND TO BUY (SOUNDBITE) (French) DOUGHNUT VENDOR MARCELINE KOUAKOU, SAYING: "They should just make an effort and agree with each other over there, anyway, we'll be fine because we don't want any more of this. Ivory Coast has never knows this before. This is not the Ivory Coast that we know, we never saw something like this before. We are used to happiness and love, with everyone, from the north, centre, west, we get on together. I hope God will touch the hearts of politicians, so that they agree with each other, so that we can come out of this crisis." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING IN THE STREETS VARIOUS OF HELICOPTER IN THE SKY MORE OF PEOPLE WALKING VARIOUS OF WOMAN SELLING BAOBAB FRUIT JUICE WITHOUT SUGAR VARIOUS OF MEN SITTING AROUND TABLE EATING MANIOC GRAIN (ATHIEKE) WITH EGGS (SOUNDBITE) (French) ABIDJAN RESIDENT THIMOU ATTE, SAYING: "Really, it's very difficult, and for a while now we don't have anything to eat. Today we decided to go buy athieke (manioc grain) and they told us it costs 2,500 FCFA (5 USD), whereas before we were buying this at 500 (1 USD). And for the eggs, it's 3 eggs for 500 (1 USD), and a litre of oil now costs 4,500 FCFA (9 USD). So really, it's very difficult, if this lasts a long time we will have famine here, we'll die, or there will be complete chaos." VARIOUS OF MARKET WITH PEOPLE BUYING CASAVA LEAVES VARIOUS OF BULLET IMPACTS ON WALL VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING IN THE STREET
  • Embargoed: 24th April 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Cote d'Ivoire
  • Country: Ivory Coast
  • Topics: War / Fighting,Economic News
  • Reuters ID: LVAF21YE1ZVVZC7VI1V66SQXUSM1
  • Story Text: People in Abidjan came out of hiding on Friday (April 8) after a week of heavy battles between forces loyal to incumbent Laurent Gbagbo and those of Alassane Ouattara, the Ivorian presidential claimant.
    Gbagbo was left isolated behind a military cordon in the bunker where he has sought refuge after a concerted assault by Ouattara's troops earlier this week.
    Ouattara appears for now to have decided to isolate Gbagbo in his Abidjan residence, rather than press ahead with attempts to drive him out by military force, and concentrate instead on efforts to restore normal life after weeks of fighting.
    People went in search of food and water, as well as other basic necessities as the country tries to come back on its feet.
    Most people just want the fighting to stop.
    "We're really tired because we've been staying at home for so long without anything to eat, it was truly a dire situation, so we're tired of this. Today we're free, we want it to carry on like this. It was like a liberation, because we were locked up in our houses, like in prison. Today it's like they opened the gates of the prison, so you see, there are people in the streets," said a woman who was doing her shopping at one of Abidjan's local markets.
    "They should just make an effort and agree with each other over there, anyway, we'll be fine because we don't want any more of this. Ivory Coast has never knows this before. This is not the Ivory Coast that we know, we never saw something like this before. We are used to happiness and love, with everyone, from the north, centre, west, we get on together. I hope God will touch the hearts of politicians, so that they agree with each other, so that we can come out of this crisis," said Marceline Kouakou, a woman selling doughnuts in the market.
    Prices for food staples went up five fold in certain places after a week of intense fighting dried out food supplies.
    Abidjan resident Thimou Atte said if prices stayed this high, people would not be able to afford to buy food.
    "Really, it's very difficult, and for a while now we don't have anything to eat. Today we decided to go buy athieke (manioc grain) and they told us it costs 2,500 FCFA (5 USD), whereas before we were buying this at 500 (1 USD). And for the eggs, it's 3 eggs for 500 (1 USD), and a litre of oil now costs 4,500 FCFA (9 USD). So really, it's very difficult, if this lasts a long time we will have famine here, we'll die, or there will be complete chaos."
    In a speech aimed at persuading Ivorians to try and get on with there lives, Ouattara used his own TCI television channel on Thursday to promise that his parallel government was doing all it could to restart basic services.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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