Soldiers given 48 hours to hand in weapons

Cote d'Ivoire's ruling Conseil National de Salut Public (CNSP) has given people with illegal weapons, whether civilians or members of the military, 48 hours to hand them in to the main barracks in Abidjan or the offices of the gendarmerie in other parts of the country. The CNSP said in a communique that the ultimatum, which expires on Wednesday, was "also valid for people who have in their possession material stolen during the events of 4 and 5 July 2000". It said no sanctions would be taken against those who obeyed the directive whereas those who did not would be dealt with severely. Soldiers who staged protests on Tuesday and Wednesday last were reported to have stolen sizeable quantities of arms and ammunition from military barracks.