Ivory Coast’s Army Fears More Mutinies Over Bonus Dispute
- Some troops complain that they’ve been left out of bonus deal
- Major cities were paralyzed last year by soldier protests
Ivory Coast special forces soldiers take part in a military exercise.
Photographer: Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty Images
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Ivory Coast’s army has been placed on alert on concern that some troops may restart mutinies that paralyzed major cities in the world’s biggest cocoa producer last year.
Some soldiers say they were left out of a deal following the protests in 2017 over payments army members said they were promised for backing President Alassane Ouattara in 2011 after former leader Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept an election defeat. The deadlock over the bonuses was broken in May after the government agreed to individual payments of about $20,000 each to 8,400 staff.