American Embassy’s National Daily Press Review 

If you are using this material, please include this disclaimer.

This daily press review is compiled by the Information Section of the Public Affairs Office of the American Embassy in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. The opinions expressed in these reviews in no way reflect the views of the United States Government and are presented for informational purposes only. The accuracy of reports contained in this summary has not been confirmed by the Embassy. For questions regarding this service, please contact: Mr. Folli Teko in the Public Affairs Press Office, TekoFX@state.gov.

American Embassy’s National Daily Press Review

MAY 24, 2013

Today’s Top Stories

1. ICC prosecutor confirms trial of former president Laurent Gbagbo
2. PDCI president rejects the idea of an alliance with the FPI
3. Former deputy director picked  as head of the RTI
4. Ivoirian and Ghanaian authorities open border information center

1. ICC prosecutor confirms trial of former president Laurent Gbagbo

According to the prosecutor from the International Criminal Court (ICC) Fatou Bensouda, the court has gathered enough evidence against former president Laurent Gbagbo for him to be tried.  The information is reported in Fraternite Matin (p. 7) which notes that the former president, under custody at The Hague-based court, is still awaiting final confirmation of charges against him.  “We have a very strong case,” the paper reports Mrs. Bensouda as saying.  The former Ivoirian president is accused of human rights violations and war crimes during the political crisis that arose after he refused to cede power after losing the 2010 presidential election. 

Opposition paper Le Nouveau Courrier (p. 5), reports the move as blatant bias. According to the daily, Bensouda has confessed herself that there is a policy of retaliation presently going on in Cote d’Ivoire.

2.      PDCI president rejects the idea of an alliance with the FPI

Speaking yesterday at a meeting of his party, the president of PDCI, former Ivoirian president Henri Konan Bedie, said that an alliance with the FPI is not going to happen.  According to Le Nouveau Reveil (pp. 5-6), Bedie gives no credit to the calls by the FPI for an alliance with the PDCI.  “The FPI has a long history of violence it still drags as a millstone,” the paper reported Bedie as saying, arguing that the two parties have different ideologies.  He also used the occasion to call on the RHDP ruling coalition to overcome recent dissention within its ranks in order to support reconciliation and reconstruction efforts.

L’Inter (p. 2) carried a similar account, adding that according to Bedie, former president Gbagbo was a “tyrant” that the RHDP was able to defeat thanks to its unity.

3.      Former deputy director picked as head of the RTI

Appointed recently  as the chairman of the board of directors of a newly-created government agency in charge of radio frequencies, Agence Ivoirienne de Gestion des Fréquences (AIGF), Mr. Lazare Aka Saye was officially replaced yesterday as the managing director of the government-run television channel RTI.  The information was reported by Fraternite Matin (p. 27) which notes that Aka Saye was replaced by Ahmadou Bakayoko who has been his deputy since 2012.

4.      Ivoirian and Ghanaian authorities open border information center

In a bid to facilitate trade between the two countries, Ivoirian and Ghanaian authorities opened yesterday border information centers in Noe, on the Ivoirian side of the border, and in Elubo in Ghana.  The information was reported by L’Inter (p. 10) which notes that the imitative was piloted by the USAID Trade Hub in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).  In his address, U.S. Ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire Phillip Carter III said delays and costs of doing business in West Africa are serious impediments to the region’s economic growth and development.  “Delays at borders and the costs incurred prevent businesses from expanding and as a result, businesses are unable to create jobs that reduce poverty.  The new Border Information Centers will directly address both these issues,” the paper reported Ambassador Carter as saying.

International Stories on Cote d’Ivoire

1. Rape Plagues Ivory Coast Long After Conflict's End
Voice of America
BOUAKE, IVORY COAST — Two years since Ivory Coast's post-election violence came to an end, rape remains a problem throughout the country. Though such attacks are now occurring outside the context of armed conflict, they show that the security

2. UK, France to Join Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
Wall Street Journal
Also this week, the EITI declared Togo as compliant, accepted Ivory Coast as compliant, and accepted Honduras and the Philippines as candidates to its principles. The U.K. was instrumental in creating the initiative, according to the EITI statement ...

3. Cote d’Ivoire needs help to rebound
The South Florida Times
In April 2012, as my plane began its approach to the Abidjan airport, in the former capital of Cote díIvoire or the Ivory Coast and the countryís largest city ñ the official capital is Yamoussoukro ñ I wondered what I would find. The airport had ...

4. Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire most vibrant economies in sub-region – US ...
GhanaWeb
The US Ambassador to Ghana, Gene A. Cretz, has identified Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire as two of West Africa's most vibrant and important ...

------------------------------------

American Embassy’s National Daily Press Review

May 23, 2013

Today’s Top Stories

1. Ivoirian government to resume dialogue with former ruling party
2. Gunmen attack police station in eastern Cote d’Ivoire
3. Cote d’Ivoire qualifies for Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
4. Ivoirian and Australian firms in a joint venture for gold production
5. China firm to start railway construction in Cote d’Ivoire
6. West African experts meeting over power production in the region
7. To keep the country clean, Ivoirian government to ban plastic bags

1.  Ivoirian government to resume dialogue with former ruling party

Fraternite Matin (p. 11) reports that the dialogue between the government and Ivoirian opposition groups will resume by June of this year.  According to the paper, Ivoirian Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan made the announcement yesterday during a cabinet meeting in Abidjan.  The move, the paper quotes the prime minster as saying, is part of a, “political dialogue that brings together the government and 11 political parties,” including the FPI party of former president Laurent Gbagbo.

Le Nouveau Courrier (p. 2), which reports on the same issue, claims that the government’s decision to resume dialogue with opposition groups was the result of pressure from the international community.  The article also suggests that the recent U.S. report on the human rights situation in Cote d’Ivoire has been a major factor in this decision.  In making this decision, comments the paper, the government may have decided to make some concessions on discussions relating to reforms wanted by the opposition in a bid to boost the reconciliation process in the country.  

2.  Gunmen attack police station in eastern Cote d’Ivoire

One assailant was killed and a policeman wounded in Abengourou, in eastern Cote d’Ivoire, after gunmen raided a police station and an army camp, reports L’Intelligent d’Abidjan (p. 2).  The report also says that two assailants were arrested while others were able to make away with guns stolen from the police station.  

3.  Cote d’Ivoire qualifies for Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

A report in L’Inter (p. 11) says Cote d’Ivoire has qualified for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).  According to the paper, the announcement was made yesterday in Sydney, Australia during a meeting of the board of the governors of the program.  EITI is a system through which governments reaffirm their commitment to accountability and transparency for their country’s oil, gas, and mining industries.  The article also says that Cote d’Ivoire’s qualification for this initiative is the result of efforts made by the Ivoirian government to put in place better mechanisms for monitoring these industries.

4.  Ivoirian and Australian firms in a joint venture for gold production

An Australian firm will inject some US $3.6 million into gold production in Cote d’Ivoire, says a report in L’Intelligent d’Abidjan (p. 4).  According to the paper, an agreement was signed Tuesday in Abidjan between the Australian firm and an Ivoirian company for gold production in Sakassou, in central Cote d’Ivoire.  The report also says that the program, which will run from five to seven years, will generate 10 percent returns to the government of Cote d’Ivoire.

5.  China firm to start railway construction in Cote d’Ivoire

A report in La Matinale (p. 3), a daily close to the government, says the China Railway Corporation will soon launch a railway construction project that will connect the port city of San Pedro, in southwestern Cote d’Ivoire, to the town of Man, located in the west close to Liberia.  According to the paper, the 300 kilometer line will cost FCFA 750 billion (about US $1.5 billion) and will facilitate the transport of raw materials and other products from the west to other regions.

6.  West African experts meeting over power production in the region

Experts from West African countries are meeting in the Ivoirian political capital of Yamoussoukro this week in a bid to find ways to boost power production in the sub-region, reports Nord-Sud Quotidien (p. 7).  The two-day meeting, which opened yesterday, will evaluate projects aimed at expanding the electricity connection between the member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).  In some of the member countries, power distribution in rural areas is below 10 percent. 

7.  To keep the country clean, Ivoirian government to ban plastic bags

A report in Fraternite Matin (p. 4) says the government yesterday adopted a bill aimed at banning the production, importation and commercialization of plastic bags in Cote d’Ivoire.  The move, according to the paper, is to protect the environment by curbing the negative impact of waste produced through the use of these bags on the population.  Another article in this paper (p. 9) describes plastic bags as the major source of pollution in Cote d’Ivoire, representing 12 percent of the total waste produced daily in Abidjan.  

International Stories on Cote d’Ivoire

1. Ivory Coast Power Utility Plans Exports as Recovery Spurs Profit
Businessweek
Ivory Coast's capacity is 1,421 megawatts, which will rise by 100 megawatts by the end of the month when Glasgow-based Aggreko Plc (AGK)'s power plant in Abidjan boosts capacity, Stephan Dauriac, Cie Ivoirienne d'Electricite's deputy director-general ...

2. IFC to help build investor confidence in Ivory Coast
Ghana Business News
Businesses The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has signed an agreement to support better investment climate for business growth in Ivory Coast. The country suffered a major setback in its business environment after it went into a political ...

3. Underinvestment sees blackouts in Ivory Coast
ESI Africa
With shortages rippling across to Togo, Benin, Mali, Ghana and Burkina Faso – all of whom feed off Ivory Coast's grid – urban youths across the region are turning to social media to vent their frustrations as infrastructure creaks beneath a rapidly ...

4. Grand Gedeans Plan Mass Demonstration - to Demand Trial of Detained Kinsmen
AllAfrica.com
Several bullets disgorged from the nozzles of rustic guns near an Ivorian border town close to Liberia and the casualties were seven peace-keepers of the Nigerien Contingent of the United Nations Observatory Mission in Ivory Coast along with four ...

5. Amnesty Report Highlights Refugee Plight
Voice of America
The crisis is particularly acute in Africa - in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Sudan and South Sudan. But aside from the human rights violations that forced people to flee their homes, Amnesty also criticizes countries that receive

-----------------------------------

American Embassy’s National Daily Press Review

MAY 22, 2013

Today’s Top Stories

1. State regulatory body suspends pro-opposition, satirical newspaper
2. Human Rights Watch on President Ouattara’s two year in power
3. Ivoirian forces trained on human rights and international laws

1.  State regulatory body suspends pro-opposition, satirical newspaper

An article in Notre Voie (p. 9) says that the government print media regulatory body, Conseil National de la Presse (CNP), has suspended Bol’Kotch, a weekly, satirical newspaper close to the former ruling FPI party.  The newspaper, the report says, has been suspended for eight publications – two months – following an article carried in its latest issue with headline reading, “Magellan is already in campaign/sale of nationality at Mossikro.”  The report quotes the CNP as saying that the headline is a, “violation to the media laws and a breach of the media code of ethics in Cote d’Ivoire.”  The report also notes that this is the third time that Bol’Kotch has been suspended since March 2012.  The suspension of the paper also features prominently in Le Quotidien d’Abidjan (p. 2). 

In another media-related story, an article in L’Intelligent d’Abidjan (p. 3) quotes the leader of an Ivoirian opposition party, Mamadou Koulibaly of LIDER, as accusing the government-run television station, RTI, of being “biased.”  The paper says the LIDER party claims that the broadcaster gives airtime only to members of the government in violation of the law that provides for equal access to all parties.

Another article on the same page of L’Intelligent d’Abidjan says that the board of directors of RTI is scheduled to meet today to appoint a new managing director for the government broadcaster following the nomination of outgoing director Lazare Aka Saye to the leadership of a newly-developed government agency overseeing radio frequencies.

2.  Human Rights Watch on President Ouattara’s two years in power

A recent document published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on the human rights situation in Cote d’Ivoire, two years after President Alassane Ouattara assumed power, generates mixed reactions in the press today.  A report in L’Intelligent d’Abidjan (pp. 6-7) quotes the document as commending authorities in Cote d’Ivoire for their, “significant efforts to restore the country’s devastated economy and infrastructure as a result of conflicts and mismanagement.”  At the same time, the paper says that the document adds, “However, the lack of impartial justice and efforts to resolve causes that were behind recent crisis could jeopardize efforts to achieve a long-term stability and development.”

A report in Le Nouveau Courrier (p. 5) also says that the HRW report decries the lack of “partiality” in efforts by the government to tackle the main causes of the recent political and military conflicts in Cote d’Ivoire.

Notre Voie (p. 4) carries another document published by HRW in reaction to the Ivoirian government’s position on their initial report.  “Impunity for criminals close to Ouattara: Human Rights Watch contradicts the government,” writes the paper which publishes the full document.  Nord-Sud Quotidien (p. 2) reports on the same document which underscores the government’s commitment to follow recommendations made by HRW in their report.  

3.  Ivoirian forces trained on human rights and international laws

A report in Fraternite Matin (p. 8) says the Ivoirian chief of defense staff, General Soumaila Bakayoko, has emphasized the importance for military personnel to know about human rights and international laws in the course of their duties.  “Any Ivoirian soldier who does not have a minimum knowledge about human rights and international laws will not be nominated for any assignment outside Cote d’Ivoire,” General Bakayoko is reported as saying yesterday during a session aimed to train soldiers on human rights issues.

1. Focus on politics problems would help Ivory Coast recovery
UPI.com

Ivory Coast was pushed to the brink of civil war following competing claims of victory in 2010 presidential elections. Defeated candidate Laurent Gbagbo was captured with the help of French peacekeepers in 2011. He's awaiting trial for war crimes at ...

2. 'A turning point for justice in Africa'
Legalbrief (subscription)

At the same time, notes Legalbrief, Ivory Coast authorities have arrested a militia leader suspected of a role in one of the worst massacres during 2011 post-election violence. There is keen interest in this breakthrough because former President ...
See all stories on this topic »

3. Appy birthdays
The Economist (blog)

CÔTE D'IVOIRE may be one of the few places where birther conspiracies run hotter than in America. For decades, opponents of the president, 

---------------------------

American Embassy’s National Daily Press Review

MAY 21, 2013

Today’s Top Stories

1. Media react to the arrest of renegade fighter

2. Army reform: Ivoirian army officers trained in Ghana

1. Media react to the arrest of renegade fighter

The arrest over the weekend of militia leader Amade Oueremi continues to be reported and commented on in the press today.  According to Fraternite Matin (pp. 6-9) the renegade fighter who had been occupying the Mont Peko forest in western Cote d’Ivoire for more than a decade did not confront soldiers sent to capture him.  “There was no confrontation or any other combat operation during his capture,” Ivoirian Minister in charge of Defense Paul Koffi Koffi said, saying that the wanted man turned himself in after his makeshift headquarters was besieged by the Ivoirian army.

Oueremi’s arrest was welcomed both by pro-government and opposition papers.  In a statement made yesterday, L’Intelligent d’Abidjan (p. 2) noted that LIDER’s President Mamadou Koulibaly commended Ivoirian President Alassane Ouattara for the move and called on the Ivoirian government to go beyond Oueremi’s case.  According to Koulibaly, other criminals of this kind are still acting with impunity.  He adds that in order to achieve national reconciliation and security, the government must ensure all those accused of crimes, violations of the law and embezzlement are brought to justice.

Still on the issue, the paper (p. 2) notes that Florent Geel, African director of International Federation for Human Rights, says Oueremi’s arrest is just a first step that calls for similar actions.  “Oueremi is a warlord who joined the FRCI during the war.  He is said to have played a major role in what was termed, ‘the massacre of Duekoue,’ which claimed the lives of 500 to 800 people.  His arrest is therefore a good stride toward justice.”  The paper reports that Geel adds that Oueremi could not have acted alone and must therefore not be the only one brought to justice.

According to Le Nouveau Courrier (p. 3), interim secretary general of the former ruling FPI party, Richard Kodjo, argues Oueremi’s arrest is not likely to put an end to the crimes that warlords have been engaged in within the country’s forested areas. “All of them need to get out of our forests,” he says.

Finally, Le Quotidien d’Abidjan (p. 6) alleges that Oueremi’s arrest stems from a deal between President Ouattara and his Burkina Faso counterpart Blaise Compaore.

2. Army reform: Ivoirian army officers trained in Ghana

According to a report in Fraternite Matin (p. 10), 15 officers from the Ivoirian military were recently trained on leadership tenets and negotiation techniques at the Kofi Annan Center in Accra, Ghana.  The four-day capacity building session, organized by the United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI), was held as part of efforts to revamp the Ivoirian security and defense sectors.  The training was also meant to foster relationship between the two neighboring countries, the paper added.

International Stories on Cote d’Ivoire

1. Obama to take first major Africa trip in late June
AFP

In 2011, Obama received four other African leaders at the White House, the presidents of Benin, Guinea, Niger and Ivory Coast. He had promised them the US would remain a "stalwart partner" to democracies in Africa. In June 2012, Obama unveiled a ...

2. Improving rains boost optimism for strong I.Coast cocoa - Business Recorder
Business Recorder (blog)

ABIDJAN: Increased rainfall and abundant sunshine across most of Ivory Coast's main growing regions have increased optimism among growers following a turbulent start to mid-crop harvesting, farmers and analysts said on Monday. While the majority of ...

3. Ivory Coast's reconciliation under threat from victor's justice – video
The Guardian

Atrocities were committed on both sides during Ivory Coast's post-election conflict two years ago, in which more than 3,000 people died. But while former president Laurent Gbagbo awaits a potential war crimes trial at the Hague, not a single person has ...

4. Côte d'Ivoire: 2 Years in, Uneven Progress
Human Rights Watch

(Nairobi) – Côte d'Ivoire's government has made little progress in addressing root causes of the country's decade of politico-military violence in ...

----------------------------------

American Embassy’s National Daily Press Review

May 17, 2013

Today’s Top Stories

1. U.S.-sponsored legislative strengthening program launched with National Assembly of Cote d’Ivoire
2. Ivoirian army tracking down renegade fighter in western Cote d’Ivoire
3. NGOs call for the resignation of the head of the reconciliation commission
4. Seven wounded after fighting between rival student factions
5. Channel 2 of state broadcaster now available nationwide

1.  U.S.-sponsored legislative strengthening program launched with National Assembly of Cote d’Ivoire

The launching yesterday of a new U.S.-funded project to reinforce the capability of members of the Ivoirian National Assembly to be more responsive to the citizens they serve is the one of the major issues in the press today.  A report in Fraternite Matin (p. 8) says the five-year program will assist the National Assembly deputies to become more effective in meeting their responsibilities in law-making, internal management, government oversight and constituent representation.  They add that the program will cost US $13.5 million.  Speaking at the launching ceremony, Speaker of the National Assembly Guillaume Soro hailed the U.S. government for its support “to entrench democracy” in Cote d’Ivoire after the disputed 2010 presidential election.  The paper also reports Ambassador Phillip Carter III as saying that the program will, “help the state establish its authority and good governance” in areas such as security and public services while helping to, “create conditions for economic recovery.”    

Reporting on the event, Le Nouveau Reveil (p. 5) says the U.S. Embassy donated more than 400 smartphones to Ivoirian lawmakers.  A report in L’Expression (p. 5), a daily close to the government, quotes Assembly President Soro as saying, “Without the American government, 2012 would have been a difficult year” in Cote d’Ivoire.  “Cote d’Ivoire must have institutions that function,” a report in Le Nouveau Courrier (p. 4) quotes U.S. Ambassador Carter as saying.  “You must hold the government accountable,” Le Mandat (p. 5), a daily close to the government, quotes the Ambassador as telling the lawmakers.

In a related story, a report in Le Quotidien d’Abidjan (p. 6), a daily close to the former ruling FPI party, says the Ivoirian government is seeking the support of the United States to implement its free medical care program.  According to the paper, the issue was addressed Monday in Abidjan during a meeting between Ambassador Carter and Ivoirian Minister of Health and the Fight against HIV Raymonde Goudou. 

2.  Ivoirian army tracking down renegade fighter in western Cote d’Ivoire

A report in L’Inter (p. 6) says the Ivoirian army has launched a vast operation aimed to track down Amade Oueremi, a renegade fighter who has settled in western Cote d’Ivoire.  The report says a contingent of hundreds of government soldiers, part of the Forces Republicaines de Cote d’Ivoire (FRCI), as well as gendarmes, have been deployed to the region for this operation.   

According to Nord-Sud Quotidien (p. 3), the military operation launched yesterday.  The report also says that an attempt by the previous government to clean the forest reserve in the west was futile as the renegade fighter and his men are heavily armed.  

An article in Notre Voie (p. 2) wonders whether Ivoirian soldiers, backed by their French counterparts, will be able to dislodge Oueremi from the Peko forest reserve where he is in hiding.  The article also claims that Oueremi is from Burkina Faso and that he is accused of killing two people on Tuesday after his motorcade hit them in Duekoue.

3.  NGOs call for the resignation of the head of the reconciliation commission

A report in L’Intelligent d’Abidjan (p. 7) says Ivoirian NGOs are calling for the resignation of the president of the Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CDVR), former Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny.  “He has become more a political actor than an actor in reconciliation,” the paper quotes of the spokesperson of the organizations as saying at a press briefing yesterday in Abidjan.  “Since his nomination, Banny has not shown any commitment to reconcile Ivoirians,” Le Quotidien d’Abidjan (p. 6) also quotes the spokesperson as saying.  

4.  Seven wounded after fighting between rival student factions

A report in Nord-Sud Quotidien (p. 7) says seven were wounded yesterday as two rival student factions clashed on the campus of Felix Houphouet Boigny University in Abidjan.  The paper names the two factions as, “Syndicat de Eleves et Etudiants de Cote d’Ivoire (SYEECI),” and, “Federation Estudiantine et Scolaire de Cote d’Ivoire (FESCI).”  The report also indicates that the clash came after students demonstrated on Monday to demand better conditions.  In a related development, a report in Le Temps (p. 9) says the youth wing of the former ruling FPI party (JFPI) has expressed its support for the students’ demands.

5.  Channel 2 of state broadcaster now available nationwide

A report in L’Inter (p. 14) says RTI2, the channel of the state broadcaster that focuses on human interest stories and culture is now available nationwide.  According to the paper, the coverage has become possible after an agreement signed between the RTI and Eutelsat, a satellite signal provider.

-----------------------------------

American Embassy’s National Daily Press Review

May 16, 2013

Today’s Top Stories

1. Media reacts to U.S. 2012 report on human rights in Cote d’Ivoire
2. Party of former president Bedie to contest 2015 presidential elections
3. Belgium businessmen to invest more in Cote d’Ivoire

1.  Media reacts to U.S. 2012 report on human rights in Cote d’Ivoire

The 2012 report on the human rights situation in Cote d’Ivoire released yesterday in French by the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan features prominently in the Ivoirian press today.  “The United States slams Ouattara,” writes Soir Info (pp. 2-4), which quotes the report as accusing the government’s Forces Republicaines de Cote d’Ivoire (FRCI) and Dozos, also known as traditional hunters, of “murder.”  The paper, which published the full report, also quotes the document on, “the difficult detention conditions,” in which supporters of former Ivoirian president Laurent Gbagbo are being held.  The paper also carries a front-page headline describing these accusations as “serious.”

“A U.S. report on the human rights situation in Cote d’Ivoire accuses Ouattara,” writes L’Inter (p. 6), which underlines part of the report that denounces “impunity” in Cote d’Ivoire.  The report also features prominently in Le Nouveau Courrier (p. 5), which comments that through this report, “the United States is blowing hot and cold.” 

With a front-page headline reading, “The United States is unhappy,” Notre Voie (p. 7), another daily close to the former ruling FPI party, quotes the report as, “accusing government forces of committing grave human rights violations in Cote d’Ivoire.”  By denouncing, “these serious wounds,” perpetrated by the Ouattara’s regime, comments the paper, the United States wanted to remind Ouattara that, “playtime is over.”  

Nord-Sud Quotidien (pp. 4&5), a daily close to the government, carries portions of the report underlining among other things, “corruption and lack of transparency in the government.” 

2.  Party of former president Bedie to contest 2015 presidential elections

The political landscape in Cote d’Ivoire in the run-up to the 2015 presidential elections, and relations between President Ouattara’s RDR party and his political ally, the PDCI party of former Ivoirian president Henri Konan Bedie, are also major issues in the press today.  “PDCI will have a candidate in the 2015 presidential elections,” Le Nouveau Reveil (p. 2) quotes the party’s youth leader, Kouadio Konan Bertin, as saying yesterday at a press conference.  According to the paper, Mr. Kouadio’s declaration came as the party is preparing to hold a congress that will probably be dominated by the party’s participation in the 2015 presidential vote.  The paper (p. 4) however runs a comment wondering whether the announcement by Mr. Kouadio was, “a myth or reality.”   

In the wake of Mr. Kouadio declaration, Le Temps (p. 4), a daily close to the former ruling FPI party, proclaims a “divorce” between the RDR and PDCI parties, the two major parties in the ruling RHDP coalition.  “The alliance with the FPI party is possible,” a report in Aujourd’hui (p. 5) quotes the PDCI’s youth leader, who is also a member of the National Assembly, as saying.  “The FPI party is not our enemy,” L’Intelligent d’Abidjan (p. 1) quotes Mr. Kouadio as saying, while a report in Le Mandat (p. 3), a daily close to the PDCI party, says the party’s youth leader has set the record straight.

Notre Voie (p. 6) sees Mr. Kouadio’s pronouncement on the relation between the RDR and PDCI as “a revolt against President Ouattara.”  Le Nouveau Courrier (p. 6) quotes the youth leader announcing the “death” of the ruling RHDP coalition.  While Soir Info (p. 8) reports Mr. Kouadio telling cadres of PDCI members not to reject “calls from the FPI party for a new coalition against President Ouattara,” Le Patriote (p. 3), a daily close to President Ouattara, describes the youth leader as, “a puppet,” whose intention was to “bring down” the ruling alliance.  

3.  Belgium businessmen to invest more in Cote d’Ivoire

Belgian businessmen have shown interest in supporting Cote d’Ivoire to rehabilitate infrastructure such roads and bridges reports Fraternite Matin (p. 5).  According to the paper, this discussion was held during a meeting between Belgium businessmen and President Ouattara during his visit to Brussels this week for a foreign donors’ conference on Mali.  The report also says that Belgium and Cote d’Ivoire have signed an agreement that seeks to promote and protect trade between the two countries.

With more on economic issues, a report in Fraternite Matin (p. 15) says the Ivoirian government and the International Financial Society, a World Bank institution, have signed a US $2.4 million agreement that will help Cote d’Ivoire improve its business environment.

Media affiliation and circulation

(Newspaper circulation figures represent number of copies printed, not actual sales)

Fraternite Matin                  
Government-owned daily newspaper                                                          
23,000 daily

L’Intelligent d’Abidjan      
Privately-owned daily; leans pro-President Alassane Ouattara
7,000 daily  

L’Inter                                  
Independent daily                                                                               20,000 daily

Le Nouveau Courrier         
Daily close to the FPI party of former President Laurent Gbagbo
10,000 daily

Le Nouveau Reveil            
Daily close to the PDCI-RDA party of former President Henri Konan Bedie
17,000 daily                                             

Le Patriote                           
Daily close to the RDR party of President Alassane Ouattara
17,000 daily                                              

Le Temps - (no current website)                    
Daily close to the FPI party of former President Laurent Gbagbo                                                
30,000 daily

Nord-Sud Quotidien- (no current website)                       
Daily close to Speaker of the National Assembly Guillaume Soro
10,000 daily

Notre Voie                            
Daily close to the FPI party of former President Laurent Gbagbo                                                 
15,000 daily                                          

Soir Info                               
Independent daily                                                                               22,000

=====================

Agence Ivoirienne de Presse
Government-run news agency

RTI Television                                 
Government-run television and radio conglomerate