A MILITARY mutiny in Côte d’Ivoire’s main city Abidjan continued early Friday with troops shooting into the air and overrunning Abidjan international airport.
The mutiny erupted on Thursday in the economic capital with rampaging soldiers firing shots and looting in a protest blamed on unpaid wages and complaints about their standard of living.
Their representatives were received at government headquarters by several ministers including Defence Minister Bandama N’Gatta.
National radio and television stopped broadcasting, with troops occupying the broadcasting headquarters of the west African country.
Mutinous soldiers early Friday overran Abidjan international airport, chasing out the technical staff, a member of the agency for air safety and navigation said.
The source, who worked in the control tower, said some 70 soldiers in a dozen vehicles arrived at the Felix Houphouet Boigny airport early Friday morning.
N’Gatta said four mutineers headed by their leader, named as Staff Sergeant Boka, had talks with him and Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan. They laid down a nine-point list of “essentially material” demands.
The minister said: “We will meet them again on Friday morning, before they meet President Bedie.”
Boka was among the some 230 Ivorian soldiers who served in Central Africa with Minurca, the UN mission in Central Africa. The soldiers are calling for payment of bonuses they should have received for the mission. — AFP