Ivory Coast: Calm returns in Adiake as govt pursues bid to end mutiny

Calm has returned to the Ivorian town of Adiake, 90 km east of the capital Abidjan.

This followed discussions between the Ivorian government and the soldiers of the special forces which began on Thursday to put to an end mutiny by the soldiers which started at the beginning of the week.

Nevertheless, no agreement has been reached and negotiations are ongoing.The revolting Special Forces are an elite unit of the army directly involved in providing close security to the Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara.

At the start of January, former rebels integrated into army ranks staged a mutiny that paralysed activity in several towns of the west African country while they pressed for bonuses.

In meeting the demands of these ex-rebels, who controlled the northern half of Africa’s biggest cocoa producer between 2002 and 2011, the authorities provoked a fresh mutiny by other troops and paramilitary officers.

The clashes have so far claimed four lives in the political capital Yamoussoukro.