Ivory Coast: at least seven dead in intercommunal violence related to a land dispute
Eighteen suspects have been charged and placed under detention following clashes between communities that occurred on August 4 in Kossandji, about sixty kilometers from Abidjan. The violence resulted in at least seven deaths, several injuries, and one person missing, amidst a dispute related to the exploitation of a farm plot.
SUMMARY
The Abobo prosecutor announced on the evening of Wednesday, August 12, the opening of a judicial inquiry and the detention of 18 individuals suspected of participating in the violence. The accused are notably being prosecuted for murder, public disorder, illegal possession of weapons, and criminal conspiracy.
The clashes erupted on the night of Tuesday, August 4, in Kossandji, following a dispute that reportedly escalated between several communities regarding the exploitation of land. According to witnesses, armed individuals attacked the village, causing significant material damage.
The preliminary report indicates at least seven dead and several injured. One person is still missing. The precise circumstances of the deaths and the role of each suspect must now be established by the judicial inquiry.
Authorities call for a return to calm
Calm has reportedly returned to the locality, but the population remains affected by the violence. Residents express particular fear about returning to work in their fields. “Parents are always afraid to go to the fields,” testified a Kossandji resident who claims to have lost a cousin in the clashes.
General Alexandre Apalo Touré, the national gendarmerie’s commander, visited the site to urge the various communities to avoid further escalation. He called on residents to maintain calm so that agricultural activities could resume without fear.
The investigation will need to determine the exact origin of the conflict, identify potential instigators, and establish responsibilities for the violence. At this stage, the prosecutor has not communicated a timeline regarding the next steps in the process.
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