Katiola, Ivory Coast, Jan 26, 2017 / 14:05 pm
After two weeks of mutinies over pay by Ivory Coast's army and paramilitary, the nation's bishops are calling for open dialogue on unemployment, working conditions, and the cost of living.
"Feelings of frustration and revolt still harbor in the hearts of so many Ivorians," the Ivory Coast bishops' conference said in a Jan. 23 statement at the conclusion of their plenary assembly in Katiola. "Several fighters and military involved in the successive crises that have shaken our country are not serene, and fear for their future."
Unrest in Ivory Coast began Jan. 6, when mutinying soldiers took control of the city of Bouake, demanding $8,000 and a house each. A similar pay rebellion had begun in Bouake in 2014.
The mutiny spread to cities across the country, and the following day President Alassane Ouattara announced he had "agreed to take into account the demands of the soldiers over bonuses and better working conditions."