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The streets of Le Plateau, Abidjan’s central administrative district, were deserted on Monday after a pre-dawn attack on the residence of Cote d’Ivoire’s leader, General Robert Guei.
“It’s calm for now”, a humanitarian source told IRIN. There was a heavy military presence in Le Plateau throughout the day and the few taxis to be seen were loaded with gendarmes and members of the military, rather than their usual civilian passengers.
Offices and business places remained closed and the few civilians who tried to reach the city centre were searched by security forces, the source said.
Monday’s attack was staged by “a few isolated elements”, Minister of Communication and Culture Henri Sama said on state radio. The assailants tried to take the residence of the president but were repulsed, he said. International media organisations reported that two people had died. Local radio said a number of members of the military were detained and questioned. [See also item titled ‘COTE D’IVOIRE: Uneasy calm follows attack on president’s home’]
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