Ivory Coast won’t revolt, despite president’s foul move
This burnt-out bus in Abidjan has been used by the world's media to demonstrate what it says is an anti-government uprising in Ivory Coast. One of our Observers from there, however, says that the reason no other such images have been shown is because there aren't any; the burning bus was an isolated case and the entire country is not about to go up in flames. Read more...
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Photo sent to us by our Observer Suy.
This burnt-out bus in Abidjan has been used by the world's media to demonstrate what it says is an anti-government uprising in Ivory Coast. One of our Observers from there, however, says that the reason no other such images have been shown is because there aren't any; the burning bus was an isolated case and the entire country is not about to go up in flames.
A new political crisis was sparked on Friday in Ivory Coast when President Laurent Gbagbo sacked the government and the country's independent electoral commission, a move likely to postpone even further the next presidential election, delayed since 2005 - Gbagbo's last legal mandate.
The opposition immediately denounced what they deemed a coup d'état and called on supporters to demonstrate against the president. The subsequent street protests continued until Wednesday, when the now famous bus was set alight, attracting the attention of a cameraman on the scene. Those images - propelled around the world by the press - gave the impression that the country was on the verge of chaos. Not so, says our Observer, who has been taking part in the protests.
“The Ivoirian people are calm; as the saying goes here: ‘It takes time to make a good sauce’”
Suy Kahofi writes for Ivoirian website "Avenue 225".
Opposition supporters had planned to meet up in Trenchville [the southern district of Abidjan where the bus was burnt] on Wednesday and then make their way to the business district to protest. But they hadn't even set off when someone split from the group and set the bus on fire. The vandals were dressed in combat gear and with their faces painted with charcoal or covered with a hood.
The RHDP [Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace, opposition party], say that these rioters aren't their people and are rather probably members of the FPI [Ivoirian Popular Front, Gbagbo's party]; trying to discredit the opposition.
There were never any clashes. There was the burnt bus and a few other cases of vandalism, but that's it, and not only here, but across the country.
There's no feeling of revolt here. The Ivoirian people are calm and most of them are waiting for a new government. It's a lengthy process and the opposition would like to see things sped up, but as the saying goes here: ‘It takes time to make a good sauce'."
Photos sent to us by Suy:
The burnt-out bus after the protest.
Firemen intervened to put out the fire.