Background on criminal probe against Gbagbo
Ivory Coast has launched a criminal probe against former president Laurent Gbagbo, his wife Simone and 100 other close associates over alleged human rights abuses, a government spokesman said on Wednesday.
The investigation comes two weeks after Gbagbo was ousted from power by forces loyal to his successor Alassane Ouattara, backed by French and U.N. troops who were deployed to help end a four-month power struggle in which more than 1,500 were killed.
Critics of Gbagbo want to take him to task for atrocities committed during a 10-year rule that included a descent into 2002-2003 civil war and the brutal repression of opposition protests in the weeks following the November 28 presidential poll.
source: Reuters
Ivory Coast militia leader, Ibrahim Coulibaly, was killed in a gun battle on Wednesday after he and his men refused to obey a presidential order to disarm. Coulibaly who was leader of the so-called 'Invisible Commandos' had previously helped Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara defeat rival Laurent Gbagbo.
"I can confirm that Ibrahim Coulibaly was killed during fighting today," said Defence Ministry spokesman Captain Alla Kouakou Leon.
Coulibaly's 'Invisible Commando' insurgents had fought alongside what is now the Ivorian national army to topple Gbagbo, but had been accused of not meeting a deadline to lay down their arms and join the new army.
Ouattara ordered soldiers from all sides of the conflict back to barracks on Friday in an effort to restore stability to the world's top cocoa producer.
Loyalty
Coulibaly, who last week pledged loyalty to Ouattara, said his 5,000 men were ready to join to new army. But he requested a meeting with Ouattara, but was told to disarm without condition.
Known as "IB", Coulibaly was a senior rebel commander in the 2002-03 rebellion before a bitter fallout with the rebel leadership led by current Ouattara's Prime Minister Guillaume Soro.
Sabotage
An Ivorian source who was mediating between Coulibaly and Ouattara's camp, and who asked not to be named, said Coulibaly and his bodyguards were killed after talks to end the row had been sabotaged by people who did not want him to meet Ouattara.
Fighting broke out in the Abidjan neighbourhood of Abobo near the militia's headquarters as Ouattara's forces attacked the insurgents.
Disarmament
A spokesman for the militia said that the group was in the process of disarmament and had asked its fighters to prepare to lay down their arms.
"It is in this context that the FRCI (Ivorian army), who took positions around us yesterday, launched an offensive on our headquarters," the spokesman said.
source: Reuters
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