Ivory Coast: Grand Bassam beach purified after Al-Qaeda attack

Its over two weeks after the terrorist attack at the Grand Bassam beach, Ivory Coast. A church in the city recently organised a “purification” session of the beach where 19 people were murdered during the Al-Qaeda attack.

Members of the church are seen on the beach saying prayers and undertaking rites in a bid to purify the beach.

They are seen pouring libation on the shores amid drumming and dancing. They also slaughtered two rams as part of the rites.

AFP reports that the body of a young man shot in the head was found on the beach.

State-run RTI television in the country showed images of the body of the young man and quoted the person who had found it as saying it had been “washed back by the waves”.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility for the attack.

Citizens from Burkina Faso, Germany and France were among those killed when gunmen stormed three hotels and sprayed the beach resort with bullets.

The town with its serene beaches and UNESCO-listed French colonial-era buildings are always packed with visitors on weekends from near-by capital, Abidjan.

A security source said it is possible some corpses had been washed away from the beach following the assault.

AQIM said the shooting rampage was one of a series of operations “targeting dens of espionage and conspiracies”.

The attack had threatened France and its allies in the region.

Ivory Coast is world’s leading cocoa producer and France star colony in Africa.Visiting French foreign and interior minister had pledged to step up anti-terrorism cooperation in the region and deploy special operations troops specialising in counter-terrorism and hostage rescue missions.

France has a permanent military base in the country under a deal with the country’s founding president, Felix Houphouet-Boigny.

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara recently held a cabinet meeting in Grand-Bassam to show “their unity and strength”.

“Ivory Coast will not be intimidated.” he said.

He said he hoped the town’s numerous hoteliers would resume business soon, adding that they will do everything possible so that normal life resumes.

AFP, AGENCY