French peacekeepers arrested for stealing money from bank

Twelve soldiers serving in the French peacekeeping force in Cote d'Ivoire have been arrested and charged with stealing money from a bank they were supposed to be guarding in the rebel-held city of Man in the west of the divided country, a French military spokesman said. Colonel Henry Aussavy told IRIN that the 12 men stole about 65 million CFA francs (US$120,000) in banknotes from the branch of the local branch of the Central Bank of the States of West Africa (BCEAO) at the weekend. They had been flown back to France on Monday to face court martial, he added. The BCEAO is the Dakar-based central bank that issues the CFA franc currency used by eight countries in West Africa. Several of its branches in Cote d'Ivoire have been raided by rebel forces over the past two years. In September 2003 four French peacekeepers were found to have helped themselves to 38 million CFA francs (US$70,000) in banknotes from the BCEAO branch in Bouake, the rebel capital in the aftermath of one such break-in. Aussavy described the 12 latest culprits to be caught as "black sheep" who sullied the reputation of France's 4,000-strong peacekeeping force in Cote d'Ivoire. The affair was kept secret until they had already been flown out of the country. "I hope that this won't tarnish all the work that has been done. These are 12 black sheep who will be punished," Aussavy said. France is the former colonial power in Cote d'Ivoire, which was the most prosperous country in West Africa until it plunged into civil war two years ago. French firms and individuals retain heavy investments in the Ivorian economy. However, relations with President Laurent Gbagbo have soured since France first intervened militarily in September 2002 to block a rebel advance from the north of the country towards Abidjan. Many of Gbagbo's supporters accuse Paris of secretly siding with the rebels under the cloak of neutrality in the conflict. This latest incident is unlikely to improve the already damaged reputation of French peacekeepers in the eyes of the president's supporters, particularly the militia-style youth groups which staged rowdy protest demonstrations outside the main French barracks in Abidjan earlier this year. Diplomats suspect the rebel leadership of organising most of the break-ins at the BCEAO in Cote d'Ivoire over the past two years in order to top up their funds. The first robbery took place in Abidjan three weeks before the rebels launched a military uprising on 19 September 2002. About two billion CFA francs (US$3.5 million) were stolen in that first raid. Other break-ins have taken place since then at the BCEAO branches at Bouake, Korhogo and Man in the rebel-held north. It was precisely to prevent further robberies that French soldiers had been placed on guard outside the bank in Man. However, much of the money stolen may soon be worthless unless it has already been passed on to untainted hands. The BCEAO launched a drive on 15 September to withdraw from circulation all the old series of banknotes issued since 1992. They will be replaced with a new design of banknote by the end of this year.