Côte d'Ivoire: Gunfire reported near Bouaké January 5

Event

Witnesses reported gunfire near Bouaké (Bouaké department) early on Friday, January 5 (local time). Ivoirian soldiers and members of the Coordination Center for Decision-Making Operations (CCDO) exchanged fire between 01:00 and 06:00 on Friday around the Third Infantry Military Battalion barracks north of Bouaké, leaving at least one person wounded. The fighting ended in the area after 06:00; the situation has since deescalated in the area and no disruptions to transportation, commerce, or daily life have been reported.

Context

Tensions between members of the Ivoirian military and the CCDO have been high in recent months, as some military members have accused the CCDO of espionage against military activities. Several mutinies in January and May 2017 - staged by members of the Forces Nouvelles (FN) rebel group who were integrated in the Ivoirian army and demanded bonus payments - have also exacerbated military tensions.

The CCDO, a mixed security force of police, gendarmes, and soldiers, was established by former Ivoirian Minister of Interior Hamed Bakayoko in 2013 to augment security in Ivoirian cities amid chronic insecurity and the extant terror threat in the country.

Advice

Individuals present in Bouaké and adjacent regions of Côte d'Ivoire are advised to monitor developments to the situations and adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities.