Côte d'Ivoire: Price rise riot : riot police in clashes with peaceful demonsrators

On March 31^st, about 15 people were injured in clashes during a demonstration against price rise. The protest came after rises in the price of staples such as rice, salt, sugar, oil, meat, and after the spicy speech that Konan Bedie, the ex-President of Ivory Coast delivered on March 29^th.

The incident happened after populations joined a spontaneous protest against steep price hikes in Abidjan, the economic hub of the country. Demonstrators, mainly composed of women, gathered and began to set fire to rubbish containers and tyres in the streets, in Yopougon, a quarter at the periphery of Abidjan and in Cocody, the residential area where the embassies have their sites and where the President of the Republic and heads of the national and international institutions live as well.

At around 9.AM, demonstrators started to rise up stones and bricks roadblocks to disrupt the traffic. Battles broke out as riot police wearing gas masks and using batons and shields charged the areas where demonstrators had gathered and fired tear gas, rubber bullets, bullets and water cannon at the protesters. Police truck armed with water cannons sprayed the demonstrators while policemen wearing armor moved in formation down the streets firing smoke bombs.

This demonstration happened two days after the political meeting held by PDCI RDA, one of the main opposition parties, in Yopougon, the quarter where riot police started to clash with demonstrators. During this meeting, President Henri Konan Bedie, the former Ivorian President dismissed by the 1999 military coup has delivered a spicy speech, urging Ivorians to mobilize in order to get rid of the endless reign of the actual ruling party (FPI). “[…] we call on the international community, friends of Ivory Coast and all the witnesses of the current political situation […] to help Ivorians get rid of the present ruling party which is extending the duration of its terms office without the free consent of the people”.

It is important to recall that the presidential elections normally due to October 2005 have been postponed many times. These elections have finally been pencilled for June 2008 by Ouagadougou political Agreement. But, there is no doubt that these elections will be delayed once more.

The speech of the ex-President could have triggered the sudden uprising of the population. Unfortunately, riot police responded this peaceful demonstration using rubber bullets, real bullets, and made many arrests.

Selay M.K.