Soldiers drove through Abidjan on Thursday, firing shots in the air, and creating panic among passers-by. According to reports, a group of soldiers surrounded the national radio Radio Cote d'Ivoire, which went off the air in the early afternoon.
Panic-stricken vendors at the market in the central neighbourhood of Plateau, Abidjan's main business district, could be seen packing up their wares minutes after shots broke out there. They told IRIN the shots had been fired by soldiers who drove around in a vehicle.
In parts of the central business district, knots of people, some of them looking stunned, stood around commenting on the disturbances. Elswhere, people could be seen running around.
A source told IRIN there was shooting around the office of President Henri Konan Bedie, but this could not be immediately confirmed.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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