Four people, including at least two pro-presidential militiamen, were killed on Friday during a demonstration in Abidjan against militia members accused of racketeering and abuse, national public television reported.
The victims included two soldiers from the Patriotic Group for Peace (PGP), a militia group loyal to President Laurent Gbagbo, and two civilians, the report said. An earlier report put the death toll at three.
”Two of our militiamen were burned alive by the demonstrators,” the head of the militia, Toure Moussa Zegen, confirmed.
The clashes resulting in the deaths took place in the Yopougon area of southern Abidjan, where demonstrators have taken to the streets for several days running to protest against what they describe as extortion and other forms of abuse committed by members of the PGP, headquartered in the area.
On Wednesday, another militia soldier was killed during a clash with an angry mob backed by local police officers.
Armed with machetes and clubs, the mainly young protesters took to the streets again on Friday afternoon to demand that the militia decamp from their neighbourhood.
A cordon of several dozen police officers were deployed to separate the angry protesters from the militiamen hunkered down in the barracks. The demonstrators erected barricades and burned tyres in the streets.
”We have had enough! They have to leave this place!” shouted one young man named Rahim, his face painted in black and his hand clutching a large stone.
”They commit all kinds of extortion, rapes, thefts and aggressions,” complained another resident, Carloine, ready to fight with what she called ”the scoundrels”.
”The only reason things have not gotten more out of hand is because of the presence of law-enforcement authorities,” said another local inhabitant.
The militia claims that the demonstrations are politically motivated and have been set in motion by opponents of Gbagbo. ”The demonstration was instigated by members of the opposition,” Zegen said.
”It is a conspiracy. Given the very tense situation, they want us to strike back,” said Eugene Djue, one of the PGP leaders. ”The police have come to ask the PGP to leave the area — we will do it, but when things calm down.”
The demonstrations on Wednesday took place only hours before a critical United Nations vote to determine whether the mandate of Côte d’Ivoire’s transition government, headed by Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny, would be extended.
The UN endorsed a plan prolonged the transitional period by one year, giving Banny sweeping powers to lead the country to long-delayed presidential and parliamentary elections.
Gbagbo welcomed the deal, thanking the Security Council members for respecting his country’s Constitution by rejecting an earlier, strongly worded draft that would have clearly stripped him of his authority over the military.
Rebels who had previously wanted Gbagbo to step down after October 31 this year said they subscribe to the new plan, which addresses the essential questions surrounding the unification of the rebel and government forces as well as contentious identification issues linked to voter registration.
Resolution 1 721, adopted late on Wednesday, details procedures to be followed to ”fully” implement the peace process and organise free, fair and transparent elections by October 31 next year.
The cocoa-rich African country has been split between a rebel-held north and a government-ruled south since a military revolt in 2002. — Sapa-AFP