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Ivory Coast special forces mutiny in town of Adiake - sources
Soldiers from Ivory Coast's Special Forces march in a military parade, marking Independence day, near the presidential palace in Abidjan, August 7, 2016. PHOTO BY REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon
07/02/2017
ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Special forces in the Ivory Coast army mutinied in the coastal town of Adiake on Tuesday, firing their weapons into the air, a resident and a military source said.
The incident is the first time that the elite forces have mutinied following a January revolt that began in the second largest city Bouake and spread to multiple other locations in the West African investment hub.
"Gunfire began earlier in the special forces' camp and then the town began panicking as armed soldiers left the barracks," said a high school teacher who said the school had been shuttered as a result.
The military source said the mutineers were seeking a similar pay-off to one agreed with the government in January. This involved bonus payments for soldiers promised when fighting for former President Laurent Gbagbo.
A spokesman for the army confirmed that there was gunfire in the Adiake barracks but was not immediately able to confirm that a mutiny had occurred.
(Reporting by Ange Aboa; Writing by Emma Farge; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Alison Williams)
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