Troops Run Amok in Streets of Ivory Coast
Soldiers rampaged in the streets of Ivory Coast’s commercial capital Thursday, shooting wildly into the air, stealing cars and looting stores in an apparent protest over money and benefits.
Residents dashed for cover as soldiers zoomed through Abidjan in stolen luxury sedans and four-wheel-drive vehicles, firing automatic weapons and shouting obscenities. Stores closed throughout the city, and barricades went up in some neighborhoods.
“I am scared for my life and for my car,” taxi driver Koudjo Yao said. “If I lose my car, I lose everything.”
Daniel Kadja, a Presidential Affairs Ministry official, played down the rebellion, saying there was “no need to panic.”
The violence eased somewhat late Thursday. A presidential official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that negotiations were underway with leaders of the uprising.
The soldiers did not announce a reason for the rampage, but individuals complained about unpaid salaries, poor living conditions and insufficient benefits.
Earlier Thursday, gunfire resounded near the national television and radio stations, which went off the air without explanation during the afternoon.
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