Weapons seized in Abidjan police station attack

Armed men attacked a police station and seized weapons in the Abobo neighborhood of Abobo, north of Abidjan, a security source said.

“Armed individuals attacked the 34th arrondissement police station in Abobo without causing bodily harm (no wounded), they put the police officers to flight, and they seized weapons,” AFP told AFP. the cover of anonymity.

Witnesses interviewed near the police station did not notice anything. “We were there, we did not hear any shots or anything, it was after we were told that something had happened,” said a man whose business is opposite of the police station. “We were told that young people had come by motorcycle and seized weapons.”

Armed individuals attacked the 34th arrondissement police station in Abobo without causing bodily harm (no wounded), they put the police officers to flight, and they seized weapons

This attack comes after a series of attacks in recent months.

On July 19, armed men stormed the Abidjan police school in the upmarket Cocody district, seizing weapons before a shooting with the security forces (one dead) during their leak. At least four other attacks – less important, without wounded – followed: Azaguié (July 22), Fresco (July 29), Adzopé (August 4) and Songon (September 3).

Asserting evidence, the authorities and President Alassane Ouattara himself denounced the action of “destabilizers” in exile close to former President Laurent Gbagbo, currently tried by the ICC in The Hague. The latter strongly denied that the charges were “crazy”.

In addition to these attacks, three escapes, two of them spectacular, took place in Katiola penitentiary (center, about 100 detainees, 3 September), at Abidjan courthouse in the center of the economic capital (20 escaped, 8 August) and Gagnoa (center, 5 detainees, 6 August).

This series comes after the cascade of mutinies of former rebels integrated into the army after having helped bring Alassane Ouattara to power in 2011, which shook the country in January and May, notably in the two main cities, Abidjan and Bouaké (center).

Despite the upsurge in violence, President Ouattara has reassured himself, saying ten days ago: “Recent attacks (…) do not disturb our sleep, and we are working on this for the safety of the Ivorians.”

The security forces have thus launched a major Operation Spark of security of the popular district of Yopougon, disturbed by an increase in delinquency in recent weeks, while the police forces have been much more visible in the economic capital with numerous controls night.

The mutineers had led the president to carry out a cabinet reshuffle, including the former Interior Minister, influential Hamed Bakayoko, taking charge of the defense and one of his relatives, the prefect of Abidjan Sidiki Diakité, succeed to the interior.

Source: AfricaNews