Ivory Coast sets trial for murder of military leader

A trial in Ivory Coast’s capital Abidjan for the 2002 murder of ex-military chief Robert Guei has been set for January 25, with top officials from the former regime of Laurent Gbagbo among the accused.

The delay in the court-martial was attributed to procedural problems, with Gbagbo’s former Republican Guard commander Dogbo Ble and ex-security chief Anselme Seka Yapo in the dock.

Three of the 22 accused were absent from the court, and documents required for their summons were missing, instigating the delay.

The trial is for the murder of Guei, his wife, several members of his family and his personal guards on September 19, 2002, during a failed coup against Gbagbo’s regime.

Guei led a military junta that ruled the west African nation from December 1999 to October 2000, when Gbagbo defeated him at the polls.

The 61 year old was shot dead in September 2002 , the day of a failed coup against Gbagbo which led to the takeover of the north and west of the country by the rebellion.