Hundreds of angry protesters stormed the Justice Ministry in Côte d’Ivoire’s commercial capital on Tuesday, beating up magistrates and looting to protest the appointment of judges they claimed were close to the main opposition party.
Anti-riot police intervened with tear gas to disperse the mob, made up of militants — led by firebrand youth activist Ble Goude — who support President Laurent Gbagbo.
The militants said they opposed the inauguration of two senior judges appointed two weeks ago by Justice Minister Henriette Dagry Diabate, a member of opposition leader Alassane Dramane Ouattara’s Rally of the Republicans party.
The mob beat up at least five judges. One magistrate was seriously injured, according to one of Diabate’s aides, Joachim Beugre.
Goude militants have launched scores of protests in Abidjan.
Late last year, they laid siege to France’s army base in the lagoon-side city to demand French troops clear out of a ceasefire line that separates the rebel north from the government south.
Côte d’Ivoire was split in two after insurgents seized half the country following a failed attempt to depose Gbagbo in September 2002.
Last week, the leading Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire pulled out of the country’s power-sharing government, accusing Gbagbo of destabilising the country’s French-brokered peace deal, signed in January 2003.
About 4 000 French and 1 200 West African peacekeepers patrol the front lines. Last month, the United Nations approved a 6 000-soldier peace force for Côte d’Ivoire.
A long-awaited widespread rebel disarmament has yet to take hold and insurgents say Gbagbo must approve political reforms before they do. — Sapa-AP