The first direct negotiations between the Chief of General Staff of the former Cote d'Ivoire New Forces (FN) rebels and demobilized fighters who had engineered a mutiny last weekend have broken down, according to reliable sources.
"Gen. Soumaila Bakayoko, FN army chief, has suddenly, and without any explanation, left the meeting venue where the rebels are entrenched, just outside the town of Seguela, central Cote d'Ivoire, after having begun to listen to their grievances," a source close to the meeting was quoted as saying Wednesday afternoon.
The demobilized former New Forces fighters took to the streets firing in the air and looting shops Saturday. They called for better conditions and payment of long delayed allowances. They also want their newly appointed commander, who they accuse of being incompetent, dismissed.
In a very tense atmosphere, the spokesman of the 320 or so mutineers present at the discussions reportedly affirmed to Gen. Bakayoko that they recognized both his authority and that of FN chief and Cote d'Ivoire's Prime Minister Guillaume Soro.
Nevertheless, according to reliable sources, some of the mutineers severely criticized the new commander of the area Seguela and demanded the return of their former commander, Zacharia Kone, who was sent packing on May 18 for "indiscipline."
"We want to see our leader Zacharia," one of the mutineers was quoted as saying referring to the warlord, currently rumored to be exiled in Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso and the place where the government and the rebels signed a peace accord early last year.
The former soldier's outburst, according to people who attended the meeting, had angered Gen. Bakayoko who stood from his sit and left without uttering a single word.
Further, several other rebels said that they had been victims of "attacks" carried out by elements loyal to Gen. Issiaka Ouattara, the new commander of the area, who is also the FN deputy Chief of Staff. The new commander has been overseeing operations in the area, on an interim basis, since his predecessor was fired on May 18.
In addition, the rebels alleged that the armed confrontation which took place on June 28, the first day of the mutiny, killing one person on both sides, was the responsibility of men loyal to the new commander.
"We started the struggle together, this must be the case until the very end," Gen. Bakayoko, who, together with his delegation, came to the meeting under the protection of United Nations peacekeepers and French soldiers, was quoted as telling the rebels.
"We do not solve problems by shooting at one another," he reportedly said, deploring the clashes between the former brothers in arms. The FN army chief also called on the feuding sides to offer their "apologies" to the public.
Shortly after his departure, one of the mutineers rose and asked his fellow former rebels to organize themselves in a bid to make clear demands before the resumption of the negotiations.
According to reliable sources, Gen. Bakayoko was also expected to visit Vavoua, a nearby town located 70 km to the south, to hold discussions with another group of ex-combatants that had also engineered a mutiny on June 28.
However, this group's grievances are different as they have not called for the return of former zone commander. They have instead demanded the immediate payment of demobilization premiums as enshrined in the Ouagadougou peace agreement, according to FN sources.
Source: Xinhua
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