ABIDJAN — Ivory Coast’s government and rebel troops have reached a final deal at talks in Bouake, government sources said late Friday at the close of a tense day which saw outbreaks of gunfire at barracks across the country.
Soldiers in Bouake mutinied earlier this month, firing rocket-launchers and terrifying residents of Ivory Coast’s second largest city, while demanding bonuses, better pay and housing. The protests then spread to other cities, including the economic capital Abidjan, stoking security fears in the world’s top cocoa producer. The mutiny saw President Alassane Ouattara order major changes in the top security ranks — the armed forces’ chief of staff, the senior commander of the national gendarmerie and the director-general of the police.
“A deal has been reached in Bouake between the chief of staff, the defense minister and the (rebel) troops,” a source close to the presidency said late Friday. Several rebel soldiers confirmed that a deal had been struck, with one telling AFP: “We are pleased, we’ve reached an agreement.”
“The troops have agreed to return to their barracks, and for this reason gunfire has halted in Bouake,” a local official said. He said the mutineers had managed to obtain a bonus of about 7,500 euros ($8,000).
Regular gunfire was heard throughout the day, including at Akouedo, the biggest barracks in the capital Abidjan and at Odienne in the northwest and Bondoukou in the east. — AFP
