According to Country Reports 2002, "[on] June 21 [2002], the DST [Directorate for Territorial Security] arrested and held incommunicado for 2 months businesswoman Assita Sylla" (31 Mar. 2003). Without specifying the reasons for her arrest, Country Reports 2002 indicated that "[d]uring the months prior to the events of September [19 September 2002 attempted coup], security forces arrested a number of persons from the north of the country, persons of northern origin, and RDR [Republican Rally] party members and officials" (31 Mar. 2003; see also AFP 23 Nov. 2003). Country Reports 2002 added that Assita Sylla was among the detainees released on 12 September 2002 (31 Mar. 2003). No other information on Assita Sylla could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

However, several sources referred to an attempted coup that occurred on 19 September 2002 (AFP 23 Nov. 2002; ibid. 9 Nov. 2002; Country Reports 2002 31 Mar. 2003; Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligent 23-29 Sept. 2002; Libération 20 Sept. 2002).

The rebels, mainly military members living in exile in Burkina Faso and their co-conspirators in the capital, Abidjan (Country Reports 2002 31 Mar. 2003), attacked the homes of several political leaders (ibid.; Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligent 23-29 Sept. 2002), as well as military facilities in Abidjan, Bouake and Korhogo (Country Reports 2002 31 Mar. 2003).

Clashes between loyalist troops and rebels allegedly claimed many victims, including the former Chief of State, General Guei, the Interior Minister of the Gbagbo government, Émile Boga Doudou, dozens of loyalist soldiers, civilians, and rebel soldiers (AFP 23 Nov. 2002; Libération 20 Sept. 2002). Quoting the Ivorian Human Rights Movement (Mouvement ivoirien des droits de l'homme, MIDH), Agence France-Presse (AFP) stated that the wave of arrests that followed the events of 19 September 2002

[translation]

targetted mainly Muslims or persons with names from the northern part of the country, but also activists from opposition parties, such as General Guei's Union for Democracy and Peace in Côte d'Ivoire (Union pour la démocratie et la paix en Côte d'Ivoire, UDPCI) and Alassane Ouattara's Republican Rally (RDR). Some people were released, but others have been detained for over six weeks (23 Nov. 2002).

The day after the failed putsch, foreigners who had been living in Côte d'Ivoire for many years were attacked and displaced (AFP 9 Nov. 2003; ibid. 1 Oct. 2002). According to AFP, the United Nations (UN) estimated that [translation] "over 6,000 displaced persons?Ivoirians, foreign immigrants and refugees-ended up in the capital after being driven from their homes" (1 Oct. 2002). Amnesty International (AI) indicated that

[AI English version]

[s]erious human rights abuses were committed by both the government and the armed groups. In Abidjan, government forces committed extrajudicial executions and arbitrary arrests. They destroyed several deprived neighbourhoods where poor people, including many foreign nationals, were living, leaving thousands of people homeless. Armed opposition groups were responsible for killing unarmed members of the security forces and people suspected of supporting the government (2003, 145).

The first military coup in Côte d'Ivoire was led by General Guei in December 1999 (AI 2000, 126; Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligent 23-29 Sept. 2002; Libération 20 Sept. 2002). General Guei lost power in October 2000 (ibid.) when Laurent Gbagbo won the presidential election (Country Reports 2002 31 Mar. 2003). According to a report in Libération, another attempted coup occurred in January 2001 (20 Sept. 2002).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Agence France-Presse (AFP). 23 November 2002. Emmanuel Goujon. "Poursuite des assassinats et enlèvements à Abidjan malgré le couvre-feu." (COURRIER AFP)

_____. 9 November 2002. Griffin Shea. "Les Nigérians fuient la Côte d'Ivoire par peur des attaques xénophobes." (COURRIER AFP)

_____. 1 October 2002. "La destruction de bidonvilles se poursuit à Abidjan (HCR)." (NEXIS)

Amnesty International (AI). 2003. "Côte d'Ivoire." Amnistie internationale - Rapport 2003. London: Amnesty International.

_____. 2000. "Côte d'Ivoire." Amnesty International - Rapport 2000. London: Amnesty International.

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2002. 31 March 2003. United States Department of State. Washington, DC. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2002/18179.htm [Accessed 21 Oct. 2003]

Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligent [Paris]. 23-29 September 2003. No. 2176. Francis Kpatindé and Émile Fall. "Côte d'Ivoire : Ça recommence!"

Libération [Paris]. 20 September 2002. Virginie Gomez. "Tentative de putsch en Côte d'Ivoire : le général Gueï, ex-chef de la junte, a été tué dans les combats." http://www.liberation.fr [Accessed 20 Sept. 2002]

Additional Sources Consulted

Africa Research Bulletin:

Political, Cultural and Social Series

Afrique/Asie

L'Autre Afrique

Human Rights Watch

Keesing's Record of World Events

New African

Resource Centre country file. Côte d'Ivoire.

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Africa News

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