Ex-soldiers have taken over the city of Bouake, in Ivory Coast after firing shots on Friday while looting the city’s police station of arms.
Reuters quoted army officers as saying “The city is under the control of former (soldiers) who fired shots around 2 a.m. (0200 GMT) while taking arms from the city’s police stations”.The Abidjan Press also reported that the ex-soldiers have taken control of the two main streets in the city and taken a senior military officer hostage.
It said schools in the city have been closed, markets and streets deserted.
RFI also reported that the former soldiers were making salary demands.
According to Reuters the soldiers agitating are demobilized soldiers – mainly former rebels from the decade-long conflict. There was another shooting at a military base in Daloa with residents claiming the same demobilized soldiers were behind the unrest.
The hierarchy of the military in the commercial capital Abidjan assured that reinforcements had been sent to Bouake. There are another reports of soldiers taking over the streets of Korhogo in the north of the country.
Africafeeds
