Ivory Coast commemorates Grand Bassam attack

Ivory Coast is marking its first anniversary of the terrorist attack in the beach resort town of Grand Bassam which left at least 19 people dead.

Events commemorating the attack are being held in the presence of President Alassane Ouattara.

On March 13, assailants armed with grenades and assault rifles stormed the beach resort.

The shooting took place at Grand Bassam, a weekend retreat for Abidjan residents about 40 kilometres east of the commercial capital.
Its beaches, bars and hotels are popular with Westerners.

According to the government “investigations on the Grand Bassam attack led to the arrest of dozens of people in the country, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal over the past year.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility for the attack at beach goers. The militant group said the terror act was to revenge a French offensive against its members in the Sahel region by French troops.

France, a key player in security in West Africa has more than 3,000 troops in the region.

Press Agencies