Ivory Coast: 1 dead, several injured during violent demonstration

<p>One person died and a dozen others were injured by gunfire during a violent demonstration on Friday against rising electricity prices in Bouake in central Ivory Coast.</p> <p>A 29-year-old man was shot in the stomach during clashes with security forces, <span class="caps">AFP</span> reports after its journalist saw the body in the morgue. </p> <p>“At least a dozen wounded people were evacuated to the <span class="caps">CHU</span> (University Hospital Centre). There is an man who succumbed to his injuries in the emergency. They were bullet wounds,” a hospital source confirmed. </p> <p>The demonstrators looted and vandalized several offices of the Ivorian Electricity Company (<span class="caps">CIE</span>), a bank and many government buildings: prefecture, residence of the mayor, government agencies. </p> <p>These events occured after similar demonstrations that degenerated into violence and looting on Tuesday in Yamoussoukro, the administrative capital, and on Wednesday in Daloa, in the west. </p> <p>After the demonstrations, a postponement of the payment of bills to September was announced, yet could not calm the protesters in Bouake. </p> <p>The electricity tariffs were expected to rise early in the year to between 6 and 10%, according to the Ministry of Energy; but many consumers have received higher bills.</p> <p>Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara had publicly asked <span class="caps">ICE</span> to review its tariffs to fight against high prices. However, the bills in the following months had a significant increase in prices.</p>