October 31, 2007

1. For the first time, the Ivoirian President Laurent Gbagbo reacted to the UN Security Council’s recent Resolution in which it maintained sanctions imposed on Cote d’Ivoire since 2004 for another year and expressed deep concern over the delay in the implementation of the Ouagadougou Agreement. Meanwhile Gbagbo’s plan to abolish the issuance of the residence permit required to foreigners living on the Ivoirian soil continues to be subject of front-page story.

2. The controversy over Gbagbo’s plan to abolish the residence permit is the major news today on the front-page of Le Patriote, a daily close to the opposition RDR party of Alassane Dramane Ouattara. Calling Gbagbo a "xenophobic", the paper alleges that under the regime of the Ivoirian president, "Foreigners were killed, and 150,000 Burkinabe were chased out of the country in 2003."

3. Telling readers what it calls "the history of the issuance of residence permit," in Cote d’Ivoire, Le Patriote says, "This official document was introduced as part of a Structural Adjustment Program imposed to Cote d’Ivoire by the Breton Woods Institutions in 1990." During this period, the paper goes on, "The country was bankrupt and prices of raw materials on the world market dropped drastically."

4. In a bid to reverse the situation, certain measures were taken by the then government led by Prime Minister, Alassane Dramane Ouattara, indicates Le Patriote. One of these measures, it says, was the introduction of the residence permit for foreigners living in Cote d’Ivoire and a green identity card for the nationals. "These decisions, which were unpopular at the beginning, however enabled the government the save the situation and get support from international donors," notes the paper. Dubbed "Alassane Dramane Ouattara’s plan," the paper continues, "These measures helped Cote d’Ivoire to prepare for the devaluation of the Francs CFA in 1994." To conclude, Le Patriote states that "the problems associated with the issuance of the residence permit for foreigners were caused by those who were responsible for the execution of the program and not by Ouattara."

5. In another development, President Gbagbo is quoted by the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin a saying: "The audiences foraines (public identity hearings designed to provide identity documents to nationals of Cote d’Ivoire) is not pulling crowd because people who are 30 years old in Cote d’Ivoire represent 70 percent. The youths whose age is 30 were registered, and therefore it’s obvious that there is rush for the public identity hearings."

6. Reacting to the United Nations "deep concerns" about the slow pace in the implementation of the Ouagadougou Agreement, Fraternite Matin quotes Gbagbo as saying: "We’re doing the right thing." According to the Ivoirian leader the United Nations is wrong to say that all that has been done so far as part of the Ouagadougou Agreement is just "symbolic." "The fact that the president traveled to Bouake [New Forces’ stronghold] is not a symbolic action. The fact that about 2,000 or 3,000 weapons were collected and burnt down is not a symbolic action. The fact that people move freely from Burkina Faso’s border to Abidjan… is not a symbolic action." Gbagbo is quoted as saying.

7. According to the privately-owned daily Soir Info, "African Francophone mediators held talks with the Ivoirian Prime Minister Guillaume Soro yesterday." The peace process underway in Cote d’Ivoire was high on the agenda. The paper quotes the spokesperson of the mediators as saying, "Both the premier and the president of the Republic are committed to push forward the process in order to restore peace to Cote d’Ivoire."

October 30, 2007

1. President Laurent Gbagbo’s plan to suspend the issuance of the residence permit required to foreigners living in Cote d’Ivoire has sparked controversy in the Ivoirian press. Newspapers also talk about the decisions by the UN Security Council, which unanimously voted yesterday to maintain sanctions imposed on Cote d’Ivoire since 2004 for another year.

2. The state-owned daily, Fraternite Matin publishes the full text of the UN Resolution 1782, in which the Security Council decided to extend the arms and diamond embargo as well as the individual sanctions imposed on Ivorian individuals until October 31, 2008. The text however, said the Council would carry out a review of the measures once the Ouagadougou Agreement, which was signed on March 4, 2007 is fully implemented, and after the holding of open, free, fair and transparent presidential and legislative elections in accordance with international standards no later than April 30, 2008. The resolution also warned that any serious obstacle to the freedom of the UN mission in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI) and the French troops which back it shall constitute a threat to the peace and national reconciliation process.

2. In the wake of the UN Resolution, Le Matin d’Abidjan, a daily close to Gbagbo, quotes the Ivoirian Ambassador to UN, Alcide Djédjé as denouncing the Council’s decision as "France’s activism." According to the paper, the Ivoirian diplomat, however, welcomed the decision of the Security Council to review sanctions on Cote d’Ivoire. Notre Voie, another daily close to the ruling FPI party, says that the UN Resolution is "aggressive and threatening."

3. A banner headline in 24 Heures, a daily close to the opposition, says that "The UN has ignored Gbagbo’s call demanding that the arms embargo and individual sanctions should be lifted." The paper points out that, "After being abused many times by the Ivoirian protagonists, who never keep promises, the UN Security Council wants to see clear-cut actions." It therefore exhorted the parties in Cote d’Ivoire to take concrete measures to complete the identification, voters’ registration, fusion of security and defense forces, and reestablishment of state authority in the entire country," reports the paper.

4. In a front-page story, Soir Info, an independent paper, critically looks at the "real motive" behind Gbagbo’s decision to suspend the issuance of the residence permit. The paper suggests that, "Gbagbo’s decision is politically motivated because the president is a skillful and experienced politician…" "Through this proposal, the former opposition leader wanted to tell his detractors that he is not xenophobic," notes the paper.

5. Soir Info recalls that the residence permit was introduced by the leader of the RDR party, Alassane Dramane Ouattara in 1990 when he was Prime Minister under the regime of the late Felix Houphouet Boigny. "By proposing the suppression of the residence permit," comments the paper, "The Head of State wanted to present himself as the one, who has repaired the damage caused by Ouattara." "Ouattara, who pretends to defend you, introduced the residence permit and all harassments that are associated with it. I propose its suspension. Between Ouattara and me, who loves you most?" the paper quotes Gbagbo as saying.

6. Telling readers the history of the residence permit in Cote d’Ivoire, Notre Voie says that this document was instituted by Ouattara to "humiliate" and "track down" foreigners living in Cote d’Ivoire. Against this background, Le Temps, another daily close to the president calls Gbagbo’s plan "a political lesson" given to Ouattara. The paper comments, "Those who used the issue of xenophobia to disfigure Cote d’Ivoire will have no longer any good reason to do so."

7. Speaking to Fraternite Matin, the Secretary General of the former ruling PDCI-RDA party, Alphonse Djedje Mady pointed out that Gbagbo’s plan is just "for electoral purposes." The paper quotes the opposition figure as saying, "This decision should be taken by the National Assembly because it should come in the form of a law." Djedje Mady told Gbagbo to stop "the demagogy," reports the paper.

8. Questioning the sincerity of Gbagbo over his decision to suspend the residence permit required to foreigners living in Cote d’Ivoire, Le Front, a daily close to the New Forces, warns the Burkinabe that they will "be deceived" by Gbagbo. The paper says that though it welcomes the presidential decision, it’s important to emphasize that Gbagbo has just made a proposal, and has not yet signed any paper suspending the issuance of the residence permit. The paper also indicates that Gbagbo’s decision was no news because the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement signed in 2003 recommended the abolition of the residence permit in Cote d’Ivoire.

October 29, 2007

1. News reports say that the Ivoirian President Laurent Gbagbo has proposed the suspension of the issuance of resident permits to foreigners living in Cote d’Ivoire. The presidential proposal, which was made over the weekend at a rally for reconciliation organized by the Burkinabe nationals living in this country, has received mixed reactions in today’s Ivoirian press.

2. "Resident permit: Gbagbo proposes its suspension," says a banner headline in the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin. "The resident permit has never allowed the State to acquire money. However, it has resulted in frauds of the Ivoirian identity document," the paper quotes the president as saying that it is " not normal" that Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso fight over the resident permit.

3. The Ivoirian leader therefore advised foreigners living in his country to have the identity card of their own countries, reports Fraternite Matin. "Whether this paper is an Ivoirian one or a Burkinabe one, a Guinean one, a Malian one, a Ghanaian one, a Liberian one, please just has a paper. We’re not going to harass you any longer for the resident permit. I’ll make sure that this is suspended," Gbagbo is quoted as telling thousands of nationals of Burkina Faso who gathered yesterday in Yopougon – a suburb of Abidjan – to celebrate the Ouagadougou Agreement and reconciliation between Cote d’Ivoire and its neighbor.

4. Regarding the reconciliation between the two countries, Gbagbo said he is working with President Blaise Compaore – facilitator in the Ivoirian peace process – to find ways "to buttress" the cooperation among West African countries, especially between Abidjan and Ouagadougou, reports Fraternite Matin. Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Burkinabe community in Cote d’Ivoire said: "We (Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso) have gone through a wave of turmoil. We are committed today to move towards peace because it has no price."

5. A front-page story in Le Front, a daily close to the New Forces, says that "The Burkinabe set the record straight, as they are tired of harassments, rackets, humiliations, and extortions." The paper quotes the spokesperson of the Burkinabe community in Cote d’Ivoire as saying: "Mr. President, it’s true that the Ouagadougou Agreement has helped dissipate the atmosphere between Burkinabe and Ivoirians. Nevertheless, the Burkinabe continue suffering because of the resident permit." According to the paper, the Burkinabe also used the occasion to demand the president to help them return to their farms.

6. Le Nouveau Reveil, a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party, describes Gbagbo’s proposal to suspend the resident permit as a "big jock."

7. Le Matin d’Abidjan, a daily close to Gbagbo, tells readers a different story. "Gbagbo rescinded the unpopular decisions of Alassane Dramane Ouattara," writes the paper, which believes that Gbagbo’s decision has "ruined the political calculation of the leader of the opposition RDR party."

8. A front-page story in Nord-Sud Quotidien, a daily close to the opposition, says that the government has put in place new measures "to speed up the public identity hearings." These measures include a nationwide awareness campaign to inform people who do not have national identity documents to use the public identity hearings to have one.

9. Nord-Sud Quotidien also reports that the RTI – the state-owned Broadcasting Corporation – is "falling apart". In a two-page in-depth report, the paper says that the national television and radio networks are in dire strait because of "the huge salaries that are being paid to the management, in-fighting, and its biased editorial line."

10. In another development, Le Front says that 23 African religious leaders meeting in Abidjan reaffirmed their commitment to wage campaign against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Sources close to UNICEF say that "the situation of girls and women who are victims of FGM is of high-concern in Cote-d’Ivoire, where the prevalence rate is estimated at 44.5%, representing almost 1 out of 2 girls or women".

11. Finally, Le Patriote, a daily close to the opposition RDR party, suggests that the figure on Cote d’Ivoire petrol reserves provided by President Gbagbo was not "correct." Cote d’Ivoire’s petrol production stands for "90,000 barrels a day and not 50,000 barrels a day, as Gbagbo said in a recent televised address," indicates the paper. According to the paper, "This figure was confirmed by the United Nations, West African States Central Bank, and the United States."

October 26, 2007

1. The Ivoirian press is preoccupied by the slow pace of the peace process underway in Cote d’Ivoire. Some of the newspapers accuse the international community for this lingering situation, while others pin point weaknesses in the ongoing public identity hearings, a program designed to provide identity documents for the nationals of Cote d’Ivoire.

2. Exactly a month after the resumption of the public identity hearings, Le Front, a daily close to the New Forces, says that the result that has been obtained so far is "mixed". According to the paper, "Out of 12,304 requests that have been submitted to the judges conducting the exercise, 11,512 were accepted, and 794 were rejected." The paper suggests that, "Considering the number of people who do not have identity documents in the country, this result is below the expectation."

3. The paper also talks about the war of words between the ruling FPI party and the opposition groups over the number of people who should be registered as part of the public identity hearings. While the party of President Laurent Gbagbo is claiming that "the number of people to be identified must not exceed 300,000, the opposition’s projections say they are about three million," the paper said. .

4. A banner headline in the Le Patriote, a daily close to the opposition RDR party, denounces the poor publicity on the public identity hearings, which it partly blames on the ruling FPI party. According to the paper, "FPI is using every means possible – including anti-fraud brigades – to undermine the process, because it fears that the identification process would serve as an opportunity for opposition parties – especially the RDR – to increase the number of their supporters and sympathizers on the voters’ register."

5. Nord-Sud Quotidien, a daily close to the opposition, publishes an interview of Karamoko Yayoro, leader of the youth wing of the RDR party, explaining the motive behind the decision by the party of Alassane Dramane Ouattara to set up what it calls, "Watchdog committees to supervise the public identity hearings." The aim of the watchdog committees, Yayoro is quoted as explaining, is "to sensitize our supporters and particularly the populations on the importance of the public identity hearings, which are the unique occasion for those who do not have identity papers to have one."

6. In a front-page story, the state-owned daily, Fraternite Matin, assesses all the peace agreements and UN Resolutions that had been hammered out with the purpose of resolving the lingering political stalemate in Cote d’Ivoire. The paper describes these accords and Resolutions as "a five-year mess-up."

7. Fraternite Matin notes that during its last meeting in New York, the United Nations Security Council expressed its concerns over the delay of the peace process in Cote d’Ivoire and called upon President Gbagbo and the Prime Minister Guillaume Soro to speed up the application of the Ouagadougou Agreement that both had signed. However, the paper believes that the world body ignored "the contribution" that Cote d’Ivoire, the African Union, and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) asked it to provide in order "to push forward the peace process." This contribution, Fraternite Matin says, include: "The lift of individual sanctions imposed on Ivoirian figures and also the lift of the arms embargo to enable the country to ensuring public and security order."

8. In a related development, Fraternite Matin indicates that for the peace process to progress, the international community has to stick to its promises by disbursing the money needed to accomplish the Ouagadougou Agreement. According to the paper, the implementation of this accord will cost "198 billion Francs CFA". The Ivoirian government, writes the paper, will contribute "57.6 billion Francs CFA, against 43.3 billion Francs CFA that foreign donors promised to provide." The big question, the paper says, is "where to get the remaining 98 billion Francs CFA, which are needed to achieve the implementation of the Ouagadougou Agreement."

9. Soir Info, an independent daily, carries remarks from recent discussions on the Cote d’Ivoire in the Security Council. According to the paper, US Ambassador to the United Nations, Jackie Wolcott, remarked that "it is estimated that the public identity hearings do not cover the whole country. She therefore exhorted the Government of Cote d’Ivoire to accelerate this process." "She regretted the slow pace of the demobilization, and reintegration of the ex-combatants. She also added that her country condemned the attack against the plane carrying the Prime Minister Guillaume Soro on June 29, causing many victims. The perpetrators of this attack have to be brought to justice," reports Soir Info.

10. According to Soir Info, the US diplomat is also "preoccupied by Human Rights violations committed against civilians." However, indicates the paper, Wolcott said she is "encouraged by the new bill, which will establish an anti-trafficking program in cooperation with some ministries in the country and international organizations – including International Migration Organization."

October 25, 2007

1. The delay in the implementation of the Ouagadougou Agreement continues to be the subject of controversy in the Ivoirian press.

2. The main issue of comments in some Ivoirian papers today is the financial aspect of the Ouagadougou Agreement. A banner headline that runs across 24 Heures, a daily close to the opposition, says that, "The international donors are reluctant to provide the money they promised as part of their contribution to the peace process because they don’t trust President Laurent Gbagbo and his Prime Minister Guillaume Soro." According to the paper, donors want to see "concrete actions and dates from Ivoirian authorities before concluding a program to back the peace process."

3. 24 Heures also quotes a source close to the World Bank office in Abidjan as rejecting the accusation of reluctance and saying, "We don’t finance symbols. What we’ve seen so far are just symbols designed to make the atmosphere less strained. We’ve money to support clear-cut programs and the prime minister is aware of that." The paper also says that other sources close to other financial institutions also reject the accusation that donors are "responsible" for the delay in the disbursement of the money needed to accomplish the Ouagadougou Agreement.

4. A front-page story in L’inter, a privately-owned daily, says, "The United Nations is maneuvering to take control of the Ivoirian dossier." The paper suggests that, "The nomination of a UN Special Representative in Cote d’Ivoire, and recent rapports of the world body on the situation in this country are signs of the UN’s renewed interests in the Ivoirian peace process."

5. According to a front-page story in Le Courrier d’Abidjan, a daily close to Gbagbo, the Special Representative of the facilitator – President Blaise Compaore -- in the Ivoirian peace process, Boureima Badini, called on all political stakeholders and the international community to fully support the Ouagadougou Agreement. Badini, the paper says, was speaking after a meeting yesterday with President Laurent Gbagbo. He is reported as saying, "We’ve identified all necessary means to speed up the peace process… We’ll convince both the national and the international community that we’re moving forward… We’re satisfied that the public identity hearings are going on smoothly and that we can start thinking about the possibility of launching the identification process."

6. Still on the United Nations Security Council’s concerns about the delay in the peace process underway in Cote d’Ivoire, Notre Voie, a daily close to the ruling FPI party says: "Badini sets the record straight." According to Badini, "The peace process is not a long-distance race." The Special Representative of the facilitator described the Ouagadougou Agreement as "a full resolution", and called on the international community to help implement it.

7. A report in the Soir Info, a privately-owned daily, says that "the New Forces are sensitizing their troops on the public identity hearings." According to the paper, the program got a slow start in Bouake – the stronghold of the New Forces. Exactly a month today after the public identity hearings got underway, Soir Info says that "the populations are staying away from the program."

8. Soir Info notes that "so far only 9,789 people have been registered out of 3 million, who according to the Ivoirian opposition do not have their identity documents." Still on the number of people to be registered, the presidential camp’s projections say they are about "300,000", reports the paper. If things do not change on the ground, explains the paper, "It will be difficult to attain the number of 3 million people the opposition is claiming."

9. On the front page of Le Patriote, a daily close to the opposition RDR party, one of the New Forces’ military leaders is quoted as saying, "We want peace. But we want papers first." The paper publishes an interview of Sherif Ousmane who said: "The quest of peace should not let us forget the reason why we are here."

10. In a separate development, the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin publishes pictures of four officials of the cocoa-coffee organizations, who it says, were questioned yesterday by the criminal police. The hearing, reports the paper, was carried out in connection with the investigation into the allegations of corruption in Cote d’Ivoire’s cocoa and coffee sectors.

11. Fraternite Matin also hints Venance Konan an independent journalist, could be prosecuted for "insulting the Head of State and inciting to revolt."

October 24, 2007

1. Reports in the Ivoirian newspapers say that the state prosecutor has started investigating allegations of corruption in the cocoa-coffee sector. Decisions taken by the United Nations Security Council during its last meeting on Cote d’Ivoire continue to be subject of much comment in today’s papers.

2. Reports that the United Nations Security Council expressed concerns about the delay in the peace process underway in Cote d’Ivoire has triggered criticisms in some Ivoirian newspapers. In a front-page story, Soir Info, a privately-owned daily, says "The United Nations is partly responsible for this situation." The paper says "It took the United Nations almost six months to adopt a resolution endorsing the Ouagadougou Agreement singed on March 4, 2007." The paper further says, "The United Nations – at the beginning – doubted the sincerity of the signatories of the accord and was skeptical of its implementation."

3. In a related development, Soir Info points pointed out that, "International donors, who were committed to finance the peace process at the tune of 180 billion Francs, are yet to disburse the money." The paper accused the United Nations of "burying its head in the sand" instead of calling on donors to keep their promise.

4. Reacting to this issue, Sidiki Konate spokesperson of the New Forces told Soir Info that: "For us, the most important thing is to continue the implementation of the peace process and to make sure that it is irreversible. We also hope that the United Nations will assume its responsibility, because each partner must contribute to the consolidation of the peace process."

5. A banner headline in Le Front, a daily close to the New Forces, says, "The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon ignored calls from the ruling FPI party and maintained foreign troops in Cote d’Ivoire."

6. According to Le Courrier d’Abidjan, a daily close to Gbagbo, the United Nations called on the Ivoirian authorities "to accelerate the disarmament process." "The Security Council exhorted the parties to accomplish speedy progress regarding the identification, voter’s register, dismantlement of the militia groups, disarmament and reintegration of former combatants, the reestablishment of government authority in the entire country, fusion of forces of defense and security, and respect of Human Rights."

7. Meanwhile, the privately-owned daily L’inter is concerned about watchdog committees being set up by political parties with the aim to oversee the ongoing public identity hearings. The paper quotes a leading member of the ruling FPI party as saying, "These committees mainly seek to prevent massive fraud during the operation." According to the paper, the opposition RDR party has also set up its own anti-fraud brigades, whose aim is "to secure supporters of the party on the ground." However, the paper says it believes that, "These watchdog committees could endanger the whole process."

8. A front-page story in the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin, says that the state prosecutor yesterday announced the beginning of probing into the alleged corruption in the cocoa-coffee sector in Cote d’Ivoire. Tchimou Raymond Fehou, who was speaking to the press, said that: "The decision to dig into these allegations came after a writ filed on October 11, 2007 by the Ivoirian President Laurent Gbagbo demanding the justice to look into the matter." According to the paper, the prosecutor assured Ivoirians that the investigation will be transparent and for this reason he has called on farmers to come forward and to provide information for the success of the investigation.

9. A day after the announcement of probing into the alleged corruption in the cocoa-coffee sector, L’inter, a privately owned daily, hints that officials working in this sector are in "a difficult situation." According to the paper, "These officials were questioned by the criminal police."

10. Finally, a front-page story in the privately-owned daily L’intelligent d’Abidjan says, "A syndicate of forgers has been uncovered by the Consular Section of the United States in Abidjan, as members tried to obtain American visa with fake documents."

October 23, 2007

1. Today’s Ivoirian press is dominated by a meeting yesterday of members of the United Nations Security Council aimed at evaluating the peace process underway in Cote d’Ivoire.

2. A front-page story in the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin says that one of the major issues that was discussed at the United Nations Security Council’s meeting was whether sanctions, which were imposed on three Ivoirian figures, should be lift or not. According to the paper, Cote d’Ivoire’s Ambassador to UN, Alcide Djedje, denounced the way the Ivoirian dossier – notably the question regarding sanctions – is being handled by the UN Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI) and France.

3. Fraternite Matin quotes Djedje as saying: "We should recall that in 2004, the decision to impose sanctions on Cote d’Ivoire was taken by the African Union. Today the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union are calling for these sanctions to be lifted."

4. According to Fraternite Matin, the Ivoirian Ambassador to the UN cited the Ouagadougou Agreement to justify his demand for the lifting of sanctions against Charles Ble Goude, Eugene Djue [both leaders of the Young Patriots movement] and Fofie Kouakou, a former New Forces’ war lord. Djedje, reports the paper, was also outraged after the international community refused to back ECOWAS and African Union’s recommendation that authorizes Cote d’Ivoire to import light weapons necessary to ensuring public security and order.

5. Still on the same issue, a banner headline in Notre Voie, a daily close to the ruling FPI party, says: "Alcide Djedje denounces France’s position on the Ivoirian issue." The paper publishes the full test of the speech of the Ivoirian Ambassador to UN, where he criticized a United Nations’ report on Human Rights violations in Cote d’Ivoire.

6. In this report, the privately-owned daily L’inter, says that the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, expressed his concerns about the delay in the peace process underway in Cote d’Ivoire. "A situation that can put in jeopardy the implementation of the Ouagadougou Agreement," the paper quotes Ban Ki-moon as saying. According to the paper, other diplomats in Cote d’Ivoire also share the same concerns. Against this background, comments the paper, the United Nations Security Council has no other choice than to renew the mandate of its peacekeeping forces in Cote d’Ivoire. L’inter also believes that France may allow its 2,400 troops to stay in Cote d’Ivoire in order to support the Blue Helmets.

7. A front-page item in Le Nouveau Reveil, a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party, says that the United Nations Security Council decided to maintain its troops – 8,000 Blue Helmets and 1,100 police officers – in Cote d’Ivoire because the situation is still fragile.

8. Meanwhile, Le Front, a daily close to the New Forces, says the redeployment of the public administration throughout Cote d’Ivoire is going on smoothly. According to the paper, "All the prefects and sub-prefects, in the zones under the control of the New Forces, have resumed duty."

9. In a related development, Fraternite Matin announces that, "The public identity hearings are scheduled to begin in Abidjan today." The exercise will take place in areas including Cocody, Port-Bouet and Abobo, reports the paper.

10. Another prominent story in Fraternite Matin says that the New Forces have beefed up security in Bouake in a bid to stem increasing wave of crime in the former rebel’s stronghold. The paper also says that local officials in Bouna [in the north-western Cote d’Ivoire] denounced a clash that opposed the youths of the area against New Forces’ soldiers last Sunday. The Mayor of Bouna, Ouattara Sanka, reports the paper, rejected accusations that officials in the region incited the youths to revolt against the New Forces.

October 22, 2007

1. News reports in today’s Ivoirian press say clashes opposed New Forces’ soldiers and civilians in Bouna, in north-western Cote d’Ivoire yesterday. The Ivoirian Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro addressed a rally over the weekend in Gagnoa [hometown of President Laurent Gbagbo]. The event hits headlines in today’s newspapers.

2. With a picture of the Ivoirian Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro on the front page, Fraternite Matin, the state-owned daily, quotes him as saying, "Let’s take advantage of the small peace that we’re enjoying." According to the paper, the message was sent to those who are criticizing the Ouagadougou Agreement signed in March 2007. The Ivoirian prime minister was speaking over the weekend during a rally organized by the Young Patriots movement to celebrate peace in Cote d’Ivoire. Soro, reports the paper, also invited the entourages of both the premier and the president not to become an obstacle to the peace process.

3. The Gagnoa meeting, comments Fraternite Matin, was part of efforts that are being deployed by the president of the Republic, the New Forces, the entire government, and the international community to ensuring that the Ouagadougou Agreement is fully implemented, and the return of peace in Cote d’Ivoire. After this rally, the paper believes that there are no stumbling blocks on the way to peace in this West African nation, except "roadblocks that are spread all over the country." It suggests that the day these checkpoints will be totally removed, Ivoirians could freely circulate throughout the country.

4. Addressing the gathering, Soro is quoted by Le Front as saying, "Let’s help Gbagbo to implement the Ouagadougou Agreement." The daily close to the New Forces calls Soro’s declaration during the meeting, "a speech of truth." For the Ivoirian prime minister, this meeting in Gagnoa was a real sign that peace is returning to Cote d’Ivoire.

5. "During his visit to Gagnoa, Soro Guillaume castigated everybody," writes Le Matin d’Abidjan, a daily close to Gbagbo. According to the paper, the head of the transitional government used the gathering to exhort all Ivoirians to support the Ouagadougou Agreement. Speaking to the paper, Charles Ble Goude, leader of the Young Patriots movement and the initiator of the Gagnoa’s rally, said: "The youth adheres to the peace process."

6. On the front-page of Notre Voie, a daily close to the ruling FPI party, Soro said: "Those who have nothing to propose to replace the Ouagadougou Agreement should shut up." The New Forces’ leader also believes that Africa is capable to resolve its own problems.

7. Barely a month after the launching of the audiences foraines [a program designed to issue birth certificates to residents without identity documents], Fraternite Matin quotes officials from the Justice and Human Rights Ministry as saying, "On October 17, about 3,000 requests for identity documents were received."

8. Meanwhile, the Ivoirian opposition figure, Alassane Dramane Ouattara, expressed concerns about the conduct of the public identity hearings, reports Fraternite Matin. Speaking over the weekend, the leader of the Rally of the Republicans (RDR) accused the ruling FPI of trying to organize "frauds" during the exercise. Ouattara is quoted as saying, "It’s not normal that the FPI replaces the judiciary system and the government. The supervision of the public identity hearings must be done by the government as recommended by the Ouagadougou Agreement."

9. According to Le Jour Plus, a daily close to the opposition, "Two millions Francs CFA meant to financing the public identity hearings is missing." The paper alleges that this money, which was provided by the government, has never been given to the beneficiaries, and this can put the program into jeopardy.

10. Finally a front-page report in Soir Info, a privately-owned daily, says, "Score of people were injured following clashes that opposed the youths in Bouna and soldiers of the New Forces yesterday." Speaking to the paper, the New Forces’ spokesperson, Sidiki Konate said: "The incidents occurred during a routine control at a checkpoint." "Investigations are underway to determine how this routine control had turned to a riot," he is quoted as saying.

October 19, 2007

1. The nomination of a South-Korean diplomat as the new UN boss in Cote d’Ivoire hits headlines in today’s Ivoirian press. The peace process underway in Cote d’Ivoire, especially the audiences foraines [a program designed to issue birth certificates to residents without identity documents] and upcoming elections in this West African country, is also a subject of front-page stories.

2. With a picture of the Ivoirian President Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane Dramane Ouattara, leader of the opposition RDR party on the front-page, the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin, says: "Gbagbo and Soro [Prime Minister Guillaume Soro] reassured the RDR on its concerns regarding the public identity hearing, identification program, and the voter’s register that will be used during the forthcoming elections." These preoccupations, reports the paper, were atop a meeting between Gbagbo and Ouattara yesterday in Abidjan.

3. Ouattara, speaking after the meeting, told Fraternite Matin that: "We’ve had a good discussion with the head of state and I’m happy that he is also committed. We’ve insisted that the peace process should move forward and that there is a need to meet the deadline."

4. Fraternite Matin quotes the Ivoirian opposition leader as saying, "The Ivoirian peace process has reached an important stage. We’ve to make sure that the public identity hearings are conducted in a peaceful environment so that questions regarding nationality be solved once and for all and to allow the elections to be organized."

5. In a related development, Le Front, a daily close to the New Forces, says, "156 prefects and the sub-prefects including their collaborators have returned to the posts located in the zones under the control of the former rebel movement." According to the paper, this information was given by the officer in-charge of the National Committee for the Redeployment of the Administration.

5. Gbagbo’s recent interview with the public radio and television on various issues including the peace process underway in Cote d’Ivoire is again a front-page story in many dailies. "We’ve succeeded during the past seven years because of our good management," Notre Voie, a daily close to the ruling FPI party quotes Gbagbo as saying. According to the paper, which publishes the full text of the president interview, Gbagbo was reacting to allegations of embezzlement, money laundering, fraud and the fake dollar affair that hit headlines in Cote d’Ivoire during the past few days.

6. Relations between the World Bank and Cote d’Ivoire are also one of the major subjects in the press today. According to Soir Info, a privately-owned daily, the Ivoirian Economy and Finance Minister, Charles Koffi Diby recently met the new President of the bank, Robert Zoellick in New York.

7. Koffi Diby, reports Soir Info, was leading a heavy delegation including officials from the ministry of planning and development at the general assembly of the world institutions slated from October 18-20. "Discussions between officials of the Breton Woods Institutions and the delegation focused on a program set up by the Ivoirian authorities aimed at encouraging good governance and transparency in this West African country," reports the paper.

8. Le Matin d’Abidjan, a daily close to Gbagbo, devotes its front-page to Soro’s coming visit to Gagnoa [hometown of Gbagbo] to attend a rally for peace scheduled for tomorrow. According to the paper, the forces of defense and security have taken measures to ensuring the security of the Prime Minister during his visit.

9. Finally, a banner headline in Fraternite Matin announces that Choi Young-jin, a South-Korean diplomat, has been appointed by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon as the new boss of the UN Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI). Young-jin writes the paper, succeeds the Sweden diplomat Pierre Schori, who left Cote d’Ivoire in February 2007.

October 18, 2007

1. The Ivoirian President Laurent Gbagbo spoke yesterday on the public radio and television. The president used the opportunity to address burning issues including the scandal of the money laundering and fraud, the fake dollar affair, and the peace process underway in Cote d’Ivoire after the signing of the Ouagadougou Agreement in March this year.

2. Notre Voie, a daily close to the ruling FPI, devotes its entire front page to the president’s interview saying: "Gbagbo vowed to prosecute anyone who will be found guilty of embezzlement." Reacting to allegations of mismanagement in the cocoa-coffee sector, the Ivoirian leader is quoted as saying, "I ordered the State Prosecutor to investigate this case. If among the suspects, there are my collaborators, first they won’t be my collaborators any more. If they are guilty of any wrong doing, they will be prosecuted."

3. On the front-page of Le Courrier d’Abidjan, a daily close the Ivoirian president, Gbagbo admitted that "The cocoa-coffee sector is not well managed."

4. Speaking on Cote d’Ivoire’s economic potentials, Gbagbo said: "Reforms in sectors including customs, taxes, and treasury have saved the economy of country from collapsing," reports Fraternite Matin, a state-owned daily. He also spoke about Cote d’Ivoire’s petrol and gas reserves. The president disclosed that: "The production of petrol in Cote d’Ivoire is 50,000 barrels a day, as against one million barrels in Angola and two million barrels in Nigeria." Gbagbo, who originally opposed plan by the late President of Cote d’Ivoire to transfer the country’s capital to Yamoussoukro, explained that he has now decided to continue the job in a bid to build what he called: "a hundred-year capital."

5. Regarding the controversy over the date of the upcoming presidential election in Cote d’Ivoire, Fraternite Matin quotes Gbagbo as saying: "The date cannot be a subject of dispute. The most important step now is for the belligerents to agree on the essential points in a bid to move forward." According to the paper, Gbagbo also believed that there are no stumbling blocks on the way to the election, because all the parties, which signed the Marcoussis Agreement, will be candidates and the Impendent Electoral Commission (CEI) is dominated by the opposition.

6. Commenting the president’s interview, Le Patriote, a daily close to the opposition RDR party, looks very critic. For the paper, Gbagbo might be kidding Ivoirians when it comes to issues like the 2000 presidential election [which saw the election of Gbagbo] and the disappearance of the Franco-Canadian dual journalist, Guy Andre Kieffer.

7. A front-page story in the privately-owned daily L’inter says that an Ivoirian national, who is suspected to be involved in the case regarding the case of the Franco-Canadian dual journalist, was arrested yesterday in Paris, France. According to the paper, the Ivoirian national, who is named Jean-Tony Oulai, is being investigated by the French authorities for his alleged involvement in the abduction and sequestration of Kieffer.

8. Le Front, a daily close to the New Forces, is concerned about the plan by the Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro to travel to Gagnoa [a city in central Cote d’Ivoire and reputed to be the ruling FPI stronghold] on October 20, 2007 at the invitation of the Young Patriots [a movement supportive of Gbagbo].

9. While the Young Patriots see this visit as a sign of a real commitment of the presidential camp to restore peace in Cote d’Ivoire, Le Front believes that this could be a big trap for the premier and the New Forces. The paper is of the opinion that, Soro has nothing to gain from this visit, which would be used as a pretext by Gbagbo to press for an unconditional disarmament of the New Forces.

October 15, 2007

1. Reports in the Ivoirian press today are dominated by the alleged money laundering and fraud in connection with the purchasing of a chocolate factory in Fulton, in the state of New York. The issue again comes to the fore, as President Laurent Gbagbo has ordered an investigation into the matter.

2. A front-page story in L’inter, a privately-owned daily, says, "Gbagbo has decided to deal with his collaborators," who, according to news reports, are allegedly accused of "corruption, embezzlement of money, and mismanagement in the cocoa and coffee sectors." "Barring the unexpected, the Ivoirian leader would address the nation tomorrow to announce measures to deal with the matter," indicates the paper.

3. Earlier, the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin over the weekend carried a banner headline reading, "Following accusations of embezzlement, Gbagbo has laid the matter before the prosecutor and has called for an investigation into these accusations." "In case of infractions found during this inquiry, we request you to take the necessary actions to initiate all necessary proceedings, in conformity with the law," saying an excerpt of a letter Gbagbo wrote to the prosecutor.

4. Soir Info, welcomes Gbagbo’s decision, and notes that "many people saw the president’s continuous silence over this issue as a support of those who are responsible of these malpractices." According to the privately-owned daily, "He [Gbagbo] wants to prove that he is not associated with any of these scandals, which have hit the cocoa and coffee sectors." But cocoa and coffee producers call Gbagbo’s decision "a diversion," reports Soir Info, a privately-owned daily.

5. Telling readers the reason behind Gbagbo’s decision, 24 Heures, a daily close to the opposition, suggests that, "The move of the head of State is subtle." Its aim, indicates the paper, is to avoid that "these scandals tarnish the image of his regime."

6. Le Temps, a daily close to Gbagbo thinks that by calling for an investigation into the case of the Fulton’s chocolate factory, "the president has demonstrated that he believes in good governance." Reacting to accusations of embezzlement, the paper quotes officials close to the ruling FPI party as saying, "We’re ready to respond before any court."

7. Nord-Sud Quotidien, a daily close to the opposition, wonders whether "this investigation called by Gbagbo could be successfully completed, when the cocoa and coffee businesses are being controlled by the president’s henchmen."

8. In another development, Le Courrier d’Abidjan, a daily close to Gbagbo, hints that "the Ivoirian president is expected in Paris, France tomorrow." The paper also suggests that "Gbagbo may meet with his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy."

9. A banner headline that runs across Le Nouveau Reveil, a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party, says that "Gbagbo is planning to reshuffle the government." The paper alleges that "the move is designed to get rid of all ministers close to the opposition parties."

October 11, 2007

1. The Ivoirian press ponders the war of words opposing the ruling FPI party and the opposition groups, while the UN releases a report highlighting the situation in Cote d’Ivoire, almost eight months after the signing of the Ouagadougou Agreement. Meanwhile, reports on an alleged money laundering and fraud in connection with the purchasing of a chocolate factory in Fulton, in the state of New York, hit the headlines again.

2. The scandal of "an alleged money laundering and fraud," is the major story in Nord-Sud Quotidien, a daily close to the opposition. Telling readers his side of the story, the Chairman of the ruling FPI party, Pascal Affi N’Guessan, said: "This matter is scandalous." N’Guessan doubts that this important money transaction between Cote d’Ivoire and the United States would be marred with frauds without any reactions from the American authorities, monetary institutions and the ministry of agriculture.

3. A front-page story in 24 Heures, a daily close to the opposition, says "The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, is concerned about the situation in Cote d’Ivoire due to the delay in the implementation of the Ouagadougou Agreement." The paper publishes the full text of the UN report, saying: "Despite the relative calm in Cote d’Ivoire, the UN Secretary General called upon the stakeholders to continue the implementation of the accord, and expressed his concern about the continuing violations of Human Rights." The paper quotes Ban Ki-Moon as saying, "The peace process and the improvement of the security situation remain unstable, as there is no sign of clear-cut progress."

4. While the Ivoirian authorities are trying to push forward the peace process, a front-page story in Soir Info says that prospective candidates for the 2008 presidential election are engaged in what the paper calls "a war of words over who’ll win the poll." The paper hints that, "The potential candidates are using tribal, ethnic, and religious considerations to self-proclaim president, even before the poll is conducted."

5. According to Fraternite Matin, a state-owned daily, the public identity hearings are scheduled to start today in Yamoussoukro, the political capital of Cote d’Ivoire. Meanwhile, the Ivoirian opposition leader, Alassane Dramane Ouattara hopes that the operation would not serve as "an opportunity for frauds," reports the paper. Against this background, the paper suggests that, "The leader of the RDR opposition party and the Ivoirian President Laurent Gbagbo are now speaking with one voice on this issue."

6. South Africa and Benin support the Ivoirian peace process, reports Fraternite Matin. According to the paper, the issue was atop discussions yesterday between the Ivoirian Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro, and the South African and Beninois defense ministers. Regarding the case of the former Ivoirian coup leader, Ibrahim Coulibaly, who currently lives in exile in Cotonou, the Beninois defense minister, is quoted as saying: "He’s not incarcerated. It’s true that he lives in Benin but we’re watching him."

7. In a related development, Le Courrier d’Abidjan, a daily close to the Ivoirian leader, reports that a delegation from Carter Center met yesterday with the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Robert Mambe Beugre to assess the Ivoirian electoral process. Elaborating on the team’s expertise on electoral issues, Mambe Beugre told the paper that: "This team had in the past worked during electoral periods in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Liberia, and it envisages working with Cote d’Ivoire."

8. According to Le Front, a daily close to the New Forces, an Evaluation and Oversight Commission, which was set up as part of the Ouagadougou Agreement is due to meet tomorrow in the Burkinabe capital to assess the situation on the ground.

9. Le Front carries another major item explaining how "The Reformers – the ruling FPI party – have damaged the image of Cote d’Ivoire." The paper denounces "the death squadron, power confiscation, toxic wastes scandal, corruption, forgery, embezzlement, nepotism…," which, it says, are "crimes committed under Gbagbo’s regime."

October 10, 2007

1. A couple of weeks after the official launching of the public identity hearings, the Ivoirian press continues to express concerns about this program designed to issue birth certificates to residents without identity documents. Additionally, the Ivoirian media talked about an alleged "money laundering and fraud" in connection with the purchasing of a chocolate factory in Fulton, in the state of New York.

2. According to 24 Heures, a daily close to the opposition, "The Ivoirian Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro, wants to look into the matter concerning the embezzlement of 100 billions Francs CFA, which was meant to buy a chocolate factory in Fulton." This whole issue was made public by the American partners, who accused their Ivoirian counterparts of using them to map out a money laundering business, reports the paper. According to the paper, the prime minister has asked the minister of agriculture to gather all materials relating to this matter. By all indications, it seems that the Ivoirian government is beginning to investigate the matter, which was in the papers a few months ago.

3. In a related development, 24 Heures publishes excerpts of a World Bank report on different business sectors in Cote d’Ivoire -- including cocoa, coffee, energy, and finance. According to the paper, "The report was compiled by a World Bank’s mission that visited Cote d’Ivoire from September 17-28, 2007." "The findings are alarming," writes the paper, which adds: "The Mission has noted the embezzlement of hundreds of billions Francs CFA generated by cocoa and coffee sectors since 2001."

4. In a front-page story, Fraternite Matin quotes the spokesperson of the prefects, Sam Ettiasse, as saying: "There are no more obstacles that could hinder the redeployment of the public services," one of the major conditions for the identification process to be successfully carried in Cote d’Ivoire. According to the paper, the prefect was speaking last weekend after a meeting with the Ivoirian Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro. "The prefects and sub-prefects are ready to return to their posts," Ettiasse is reported as saying.

5. In a bid to ascertain the situation on the ground, reports Fraternite Matin, the special representative of the Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore -- the facilitator in the Ivorian crisis --, Boureima Badini visited the central, northern and western regions of Cote d’Ivoire held by the former rebel New Forces.

6. The paper quotes Kone Zakaria, a former rebel military commander in central Seguela as saying, "We released all the buildings that belong to the prefects and sub-prefects, and we also offered them new offices. We did all this because they are our brothers and we want peace to return to Cote d’Ivoire."

7. Meanwhile, Le Front, a daily close to the New Forces, says, "The public identity hearings have not yet started throughout the country, despite the assurance given by the prime minister last Saturday." "In the Western city of Man, Brobo (central), and Seguela (central-northern), the public identity hearings got a slow start on Monday," reports the paper.

8. In a related development, Le Front hints that the special representative of the Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore will soon submit "an interim report on the implementation of the Ouagadougou Agreement."

9. Notre Voie, a daily close to the ruling FPI, publishes "the full list of the judges, prosecutors and court’s clerks to be deployed in 25 areas in connection with the public identity hearings."

10. To ensure a complete redeployment of the public administration in the entire country, Soir Info, a privately-owned daily, advises the Ivoirian premier "to be firm" on this issue. The paper believes that "Soro has to explain thoroughly to the New Forces’ former military leaders the meaning of this exercise."

11. While the Ivoirian authorities are pushing hard to fully implement the Ouagadougou Agreement, news reports says political leaders are being engaged in a war of words over "who’ll win the upcoming elections in Cote d’Ivoire." In a long interview to Nord-Sud Quotidien, a daily close to the opposition, the Chairman of the ruling FPI party, Pascal Affi N’Guessan said: "Gbagbo cannot lose the election."

12. Regarding the controversy surrounding the date of the polls, L’inter, a privately-owned daily, reports that "President Compaore wants the election to be held in October 2008." According to the paper, the facilitator in the Ivoirian peace process was speaking to the French weekly newspaper Jeune Afrique.

13. A front-page story in L’intelligent d’Abidjan, a privately-owned daily, says, "The youths of northern Cote d’Ivoire are threatening to besiege the Office of the Prime Minister and the premises of RTI to protest against the delay in the implementation of the Ouagadougou Agreement and the biased coverage of political activities by the state-owned Broadcasting Corporation."

14. Meanwhile, Cheick Aboubacar Fofona, the Chairman of the High Council of Imams in Cote d’Ivoire, speaking last Monday during a prayer session marking the Night of Destiny, was "hopeful" of the implementation of the Ouagadougou Agreement, reports Fraternite Matin. The Muslim leader told the gathering that, "He who wants peace must refer to the Holy Koran."

October 5, 2007

1. The former Ivoirian coup leader, Ibrahim Coulibaly, is in the limelight today, a few days after news reports said that he was arrested in Benin for illegal detention of weapons. The public identity hearings – a program designed to issue birth certificates to residents without identity documents -- are the other major subject that hits the headlines in all Ivoirian newspapers.

2. A banner headline in Fraternite Matin, a state-owned daily, says, "President Laurent Gbagbo called upon the prefects to return to their posts, as part of the public identity hearings." According to the paper, the call was made yesterday during the Council of Ministers meeting in Abidjan. The president, reports the paper, "Congratulated the Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro for efforts being deployed to assuring the Ivoirians of the credibility of the public identity hearings."

3. Regarding measures that have been taken by the government to pre-empt any fraud during the process and to facilitate the re-establishment of public services throughout the country, Gbagbo mentioned, "The signing of decrees for the redeployment of the prefects, and the Integrated Command Center, which was set-up in conformity with the Ouagadougou Agreement," reports Fraternite Matin.

4. In a related development, Fraternite Matin announces that, "The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) intends to be involved in the organization of the forthcoming elections in Cote d’Ivoire." The issue, reports the paper, was top of the agenda during a meeting yesterday between President Gbagbo and the Chairman of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas. Commenting the situation in Cote d’Ivoire, Dr. Chambas is reported as saying, "The war is really over."

5. The public identity hearings are also a front-page item in Le Front, which denounces what it calls, "The incoherence of the FPI regime." The paper, which is close to the New Forces, namely accuses the Interior Minister, Desire Tagro of playing "a double standard role." Le Front alleges that, "While the minister sent out an official telegram inviting all the prefects and sub-prefects to return to their posts, he secretly advised them to boycott the process."

6. As the public identity hearings are underway, Le Matin d’Abidjan, a daily close to Gbagbo, accuses the Ivoirian opposition figure, Alassane Dramane Ouattara, of crafting "a plan aimed at helping foreign nationals living in Cote d’Ivoire to obtain identity papers."

7. Speaking to Le Jour Plus, a daily close to the opposition, Mrs Kandia Camara, a leading member of the Rally of the Republicans – the party of Ouattara – vowed: "We’ll march on the RTI – the state-owned Broadcasting Network." Excerpts of the interview read: "The RTI belongs to all Ivoirians. That is why we are outraged to see that there is a group – supporters of a political party – which has confiscated a tool that is financed by Ivoirians."

8. In a related development, the Managing Director of the RTI, Brou Amessan Pierre, told Fraternite Matin that: "We see ourselves as actors who are working to achieve peace that we enjoy today… We do this through the management of the broadcasting service, through the messages that we send out to the civic groups and to political parties to avoid hatred speeches… We do this by enabling Ivoirians to have more access to information and entertainment."

9. In another development, L’inter quotes the former Ivoirian coup leader, Ibrahim Coulibaly, as saying, "As from October 30, 2007, Mamadou Koulibaly [the Speaker of the National Assembly] will be the new President of Cote d’Ivoire." According to the privately-owned daily, the former Ivoirian army officer was speaking from Benin, where he is living in exile. Reacting to news reports that "he was arrested by the Beninois authorities," Ibrahim Coulibaly said: "I can assure you that I’m actually in my house. I’m moving freely to my businesses," reports L’inter.

October 4, 2007

1. News reports say that the Ivoirian National Assembly reconvened yesterday as part of its 2007 second ordinary session. Dailies also comment that the government in Cote d’Ivoire has started consultations with the principal political groups in the country in a bid to speed up the implementation of the Ouagadougou Agreement.

2. A front-page story in Le Front says, "The Ivoirian Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro, who is committed to successfully organize the public identity hearings, has now obtained the support of the various political parties."

3. "The Ivoirian Workers Party (PIT), the Rally of the Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) – an opposition coalition – and the National Congress of Resistance for Democracy (CNRD) – an alliance of political parties and movements supporting President Laurent Gbagbo – are all committed to throw their weights behind the government in order to push forward the public identity hearings," reports the daily close to the New Forces. According to the paper, "The decision was taken following a series of meetings yesterday with Soro."

4. Telling readers the real motive behind these meetings, 24 Heures, a daily close to the opposition, says, "Party leaders used these discussions to express their concerns regarding the delay in the implementation of the Ouagadougou Agreement and the redeployment of the government administration throughout the country." The parties, reports the paper, pointed out that, "The redeployment of the government administration is the bedrock for the success of the public identity hearings."

5. 24 Heures however carries a banner headline alleging that, "The Ivoirian Interior Minister, Desire Tagro, continues to drag foot as far as the redeployment of the sub-prefects is concerned." "Despite a meeting between Gbagbo and Soro over this issue, the sub-prefects are still lying idle in Abidjan," notes the paper.

6. Speaking after the meeting with the premier, Mrs Boni Claverie, a leading member of the CNRD, is quoted by Le Courrier d’Abidjan, as saying, "Our concerns have been accepted."

7. "The PIT, RHDP and CNRD have expressed satisfaction with the good start of the public identity hearings," writes Notre Voie, a daily close to the ruling FPI party. According to the paper, "The Integrated Commending Center (CCI) – an Ivoirian government and New Forces joint security unit – deployed yesterday a large number of soldiers tasked to ensure security during the public identity hearings."

8. Speaking to Fraternite Matin, a state-owned daily, the spokesperson of the RHDP, Alphonse Djedje Mady said: "The most important is to avoid that the public identity hearings are marred with violence."

9. In a bid to sensitize the population to turn out en masse during the public identity hearings, the Justice and Human Rights Minister, Kone Mamadou, yesterday urged civic groups to actively take part in the awareness campaign in order "to ensuring the success of the peace process," reports Fraternite Matin. "Go and tell your supporters to get involved in this process," the minister reportedly told representatives of the civic groups during a meeting yesterday in Abidjan.

10. "We’ll go to poll with a clean voter’s register," Le Temps quotes Gbagbo as telling a political gathering yesterday.

11. In a related development, Le Jour Plus, a daily close to the opposition, announces that, "The peace process may slide into difficulties due to profound disagreement between the Ivoirian president and his prime minister over the public identity hearings."

12. Le Jour Plus explains that, "The truth is that the presidential camp has never accepted that the public identity hearings should be conducted before the disarmament of the ex-combatants." For the ruling FPI party, the paper comments, "The disarmament process should be a precondition for any programs that should be carried out as part of the implementation of the Ouagadougou Agreement."

13. A front-page story in Fraternite Matin says, "The Ivoirian National Assembly, which reconvened yesterday, demanded a clarification from the government after the latter signed an ordinance adopting the 2007 budget."

October 3, 2007

1. The ongoing public identity hearings – a program designed to issue birth certificates to residents without identity documents – is again a subject of front-page story in many Ivoirian daily newspapers. Meanwhile, a daily close to the former Ivoirian ruling PDCI-RDA party wonders whether, "The Constitution allows President Laurent Gbagbo to stay in power after October 30, 2007."

2. In a front-page story, Le Nouveau Reveil, a daily close to the former Ivoirian ruling PDCI-RDA party, notes that "the decision by the UN Security Council extending Gbagbo’s term in office will end on October 30, 2007." "In exactly 27 days," continues the paper, "The UN Resolution 1721 will be null and void."

3. Le Nouveau Reveil asks: "Who will extend the mandate of Gbagbo after October 30, 2007?" Citing the Ivoirian Constitution, the paper suggests that, "As from November 1st, 2007, the interim president of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire should be the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mamadou Koulibaly."

4. The security during the public identity hearings is the main concern of Fraternite Matin. A front-page story in the state-owned daily says, "The security and defense forces are threatening to boycott the program." According to the paper, "The deployment of the security forces, in connection with the public identity hearings, was delayed due to an allowance problem." "The security and defense forces want their allowance to be increased," reports the paper.

5. Meanwhile, "The security of the public identity hearings was atop the agenda of a meeting yesterday between Prime Minister, Soro Guillaume and the Ivoirian army chiefs," reports Fraternite Matin. The Ivoirian Defense Minister, Michel Amani, speaking after the meeting, was quoted as saying, "Security forces are committed to play their role to guaranteeing the success of the peace process."

6. In the same development, "The Prime Minister has instructed the security and defense forces to reduce the number of check-points in order to allow free movement of the people throughout the country," reports Fraternite Matin

7. On the front page of Notre Voie, a daily close to the ruling FPI party, Soro assures the ruling FPI party that, "There will be no fraud during the public identity hearings."

8. Meanwhile, 24 Heures, a daily close to the opposition, notes that, "Almost seven months after the signing of the Ouagadougou Agreement, the two parties continue to have divergent views on how the public identity hearings should be conducted."

9. Le Front, a daily close to the New Forces, alleges that "the ruling FPI has hammered out a plan aimed at derailing the Ouagadougou Agreement." In a related development, the paper says, "A reconstruction program, which include the reinsertion of the displaced people, will cost 40 billion Francs CFA."

10. While the Ivoirian authorities vows to crack down on "the illegal use of military uniforms in the country," a story in Nord-Sud Quotidien, a daily close to the opposition, blames "this situation on the Ivoirian army." According to the paper, "In the wake of the military crisis in Cote d’Ivoire… many militia groups were created in the southern part of the country, which was under the control government’s forces."

11. "The security and defense forces to crack down on the militia groups," writes L’inter, a privately-owned daily.

12. Finally, Le Matin d’Abidjan, a daily close to Gbagbo, announces that "Sergeant Ibrahim Coulibaly – a former sergeant in the Ivoirian Army and a rival of the leader of the New Forces – was arrested in the neighboring Benin for illegal detention of weapons."

October 2, 2007

1. Today’s reports say UN’s experts are currently in Abidjan to investigate an attack on the plane of the Ivoirian Prime Minister, Soro Guillaume on June 29, 2007. Papers also ponder the controversy over the ongoing public identity hearings, a program designed to issue birth certificates to residents without identity documents.

2. A front-page story in Le Nouveau Reveil, a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party, says "The Ivoirian Prime Minister, Soro Guillaume and the Interior Minister, Desire Tagro are engaged in a power struggle over the organization of the public identity hearings." "The decision by the Interior Minister to delay the redeployment of the sub-prefects and mayors in the New Forces-controlled territory," comments the paper, "Constitutes an act of defiance to the authority of the Prime Minister."

3. The paper wonders whether Soro is not confronted with the same "difficulties" as it was the case of his predecessor, Charles Konan Banny, when the latter was serving as Prime Minister. The paper warns that "the Prime Minister will be held responsible for the failure the public identity hearings."

4. Reacting against this background, Le Jour Plus, a daily close to the opposition, says, "The electoral process is under threat."

5. 24 Heures, a daily close to the opposition, expresses concerns that "the fighting opposition the Prime Minister against the Interior Minister may jeopardize the rapports between President Laurent Gbagbo and his premier." However, it cites reliable sources saying, "Gbagbo and Soro met yesterday in a bid to settle the problem."

6. Le Front, a daily close to the New Forces, blames "the ruling FPI party for the delay of the public identity hearings," adding, "This could be seen as evidence that the FPI does not want clean elections."

7. Still on the controversy surrounding the public identity hearings, Le Temps, a daily close to Gbagbo, indicates that "The Prime Minister is accusing the Interior Minister after messing up the program."

8. In a front-page story, Fraternite Matin, a state-owned daily, tells readers that, "The difference between the Prime Minister and the Interior Minister over the public identity hearings have been settled after a meeting between Gbagbo and Soro yesterday."

9. In a separate development, Fraternite Matin announces that "a UN fact-finding mission is currently in Cote d’Ivoire in connection with the attack on the plane carrying Soro last June in Bouake." According to the paper, the delegation met with the Ivoirian prime minister yesterday in Abidjan.

10. Regarding the terms of reference of this mission, the paper quotes the head of the delegation as saying, "It’s an exploratory mission, whose aim is to work with the government to clarify a demand submitted by the Presidency of the Republic on the attack of the plane carrying the head of the government."

11. According to Nord-Sud Quotidien, a daily close to the opposition, the UN fact-finding mission "inspected yesterday the Presidential Jet," on which the premier was traveling during the attack.

12. Finally, L’inter, a privately-owned daily, announces that "the former Ivoirian Prime Minister, Charles Konan Banny returned home a few days ago." According to the paper, "Banny is likely committed for a political career, and this could make things difficult for any prospective candidates for the upcoming presidential elections in Cote d’Ivoire.

October 1, 2007

1. News reports say pre-electoral campaign has got momentum in Cote d’Ivoire, while the country’s authorities are pushing hard to organize forthcoming presidential designed to resolve a five-year old political crisis in this country. Meanwhile, other reports say there are disagreements between the Ivoirian Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro and the Interior Minister, Desire Tagro over how the public identity hearings, which officially kicked off on September 25, 2007, should be conducted.

2. "Tagro blocks the public identity hearings," says a banner headline carried by Nord-Sud Quotidien, a daily close to the opposition. The paper allegedly accuses the interior minister of being responsible of "the delay in the redeployment of the sub-prefects," whose role in the public identity hearings is "important".

3. According to the paper, a total of "296 sub-prefects should be deployed as part of a vast program designed to re-establishing government administration throughout the country." "Up to now, the minister has not yet decided when the redeployment should start," reports paper, which believes that, "This delay could hold back the conduct of the public identity hearings."

4. Still on the same issue, 24 Heures, a daily close to the opposition, says, "Tagro sabotages Soro’s plan." "The public identity hearings, which started on September 25, could be halted due to the absence of the sub-prefects on the ground," warns the paper. It says, the interior minister, who cited "security reasons" refused to deploy sub-prefects in "New Forces-controlled zones".

5. L’inter, a privately-owned daily, wonders whether the minister’s decision is "an act of defiance or a way to delay the peace process." Citing insiders within the Cabinet of the Prime Minister, the paper discloses that, "Soro is to find a way out of this problem."

6. As Ivoirian political parties are fully involved in a pre-electoral campaign in the run-up to the upcoming elections, Le Font, a daily close to the New Forces calls the opposition groups’ campaign strategy "a hurricane." According to the paper, recent political meetings, which were organized by Henri Konan Bedie former Ivoirian president and leader of the former ruling PDCI-RDA and Alassane Dramane Ouattara president of the opposition RDR party, was to show that "they are the most popular parties on the ground."

7. In a front-page story Notre Voie, a daily close to the ruling FPI party, accuses Ouattara of masterminding what it calls "a brainwashing campaign," ahead of the coming elections.

8. Notre Voie indicates that an Ivoirian daily newspaper published over the weekend results of an opinion poll saying, "Ouattara is persuaded that… he can beat Gbagbo during the second round with 53% of the ballots cast." The paper describes this opinion poll as "a cheap propaganda," whose aim is to put "a psychological pressure on the populations to present Ouattara as the most serious candidate."

9. But Ouattara, who was addressing a rally over the weekend in Anyama, a suburb of Abidjan, is, once again quoted by L’intelligent d’Abidjan, as saying, "I’ll be president. Gbagbo and Bedie are aware of it."

10. According to the privately-owned daily, "The Ivoirian opposition figure flew yesterday to Burkina Faso, where he held talks with President Blaise Compaore, who is the facilitator in the inter-Ivoirian dialogue."

11. Meanwhile, President Laurent Gbagbo is "hopeful" that his country is "coming out of the crisis," reports Fraternite Matin, the state-owned daily. "The crisis helps rebuild a new Ivoirian Nation," Gbagbo is reported as saying.

12. According to the paper, the UN Secretary General is to choose between two South Korean diplomats as the head of the UN Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (ONUCI). Citing reliable sources, the paper suggests, the name of the UN’s boss in Cote d’Ivoire may be announced "today." It also indicates that "the decision by Ban Ki-Moon to nominate a diplomat from his own country has finally put an end to the debate over who should succeed the ex-UN Special Representative in Cote d’Ivoire, Pierre Schori."