It is no secret that the French have sponsored and supported the efforts of the rebels in the North of the Ivory Coast in their efforts to topple the legitimate elected government of Gbagbo. Indeed, the French took the opportunity in November 2004 to wage a war against the people of the Ivory Coast, destroying the air force and murdering around sixty young people and wounding another hundred. They did this as ‘peacekeepers’ under the aegis of the United Nations.
However, the mandate of the French to stay on as peacekeepers is running out and they are sure there will be a fuss in getting it renewed. So, they have decided to promote a coup in Abidjan on 22-33 March. According to intelligence reports, the planning for this goes back a long way. There was a meeting held on Sunday 10/10/04, in the village hall of the town hall of Korhogo from 09h30 to 12h45. Present at this meeting were the Presidents of Burkina Faso and Mali (BLAISE COMPAORE and AMADOU TOUMANI TOURE). Also present was the head of the Rebel Forces and President of the RDR, ALLASSANE DRAMANE. The French were represented by PHILIPPE POUCHET (as Chirac’s spokesman) as well as ADAMA TOUNKARA, mayor of Abobo; ISSOUF SYLLA, mayor of Adjamé; ISSA DIAKITE, KANDIA CAMARA, GEORGE KOFFI and MOROU OUATTARA.

Alassane Outtara opened the meeting and introduced Pouchet. He spoke and said that he had come directly from Chirac with the message that “ADO (Ouattara) your son and brother will be President of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire before the elections of 2005.” Chirac has promised “There will be no disarmament in Côte d'Ivoire without our agreement. It is necessary that the agreements of ACCRA III are voted on before they can insist on disarmament. All France and JACQUES CHIRAC support ADO to lead him to taking power in five months; i.e. in March. We have recruited mercenaries who are currently in training in Mali and in Burkina Faso. In March we will lead ADO to power with the assistance of the mercenaries who are in training with Burkinabé officers and Malians. Our objective it is to put ADO in power”. “I shall come again in December, with President Campaore, and will introduce you to the mercenaries. Ouattara will return in March to take power.”

The next speaker was Blaise Campaore, the President of Burkina Faso, who thanked Pouchet and Chirac. He criticized the Ivory Coast Government for ignoring the rights of Ouattara and said “It is my name which spoiled in this business. In Burkina my officers are doing remarkable work with the mercenaries to make them ready. I support you. We are moving to put things in place from there for you. Do not be afraid; we will win the battle in a little time. In five months all will be ready”.

FOFIE KOUAKOU, a local leader got up to make his complaint. He said “It is that this rebellion which has killed our children. I acknowledge that we are tired and that we cannot continue the rebellion in our area. The North has profited nothing from this rebellion. Thanks to Mrs. KANDIA our children were released. ADO is our son. We also fight for him but his men do not cease to punish us every day. But, if it is like the white man says, that we will be in power in March, we will also fight for this.” “But before leaving, please instruct your men not to maltreat our children; especially our daughters.”

The next meeting of importance was held on the 20th of February from 100 to 1420 in Sikasso, in Mali. Present at the meeting were President CAMPAORE, President (and host) TOURE; PHILIPPE POUCHET representative of Chirac; COLONEL CYRILLE DUBOTT, representing the French Army stationed in Gabon; WATTAO ; The Imam IDRISS KOUDOUSS; several mayors and military commanders of the ‘Blue Brigade’. The meeting was opened by Toure who said that he regretted that everyone had to make the journey but that it was better to meet outside the Ivory Coast. He said that victory was in their grasp and that POUCHET would make it clear.

POUCHET took the floor and introduced Colonel DUBOTT who was sent especially for this by Chirac. “He was chosen for this because he is not known in the Ivory Coast” POUCHET went on that Col. DUBOTT would accompany POUCHET to Abidjan to stay at the TIAMA HOTEL for four days. There he would plan the details of the coup and co-ordinate the mercenaries in their attack on the capital. “The town of Abidjan will be taken during the night of the 22nd of March and the takeover should be completed by the afternoon of the 23rd.” The plan is for the mercenaries to stage an ‘invasion;’ and the French peacekeepers will intervene on their side, claiming that an attack on foreigners was being made by Gbagbo’s loyalist forces. In the run up to this there would be several provocations and incidents which would convince the world that Gbagbo’s forces were getting restless.

POUCHET emphasized that the reason for the timing was that the Unicorn Force (the French contingent) would be obliged to leave by the 4th of April if the UN mandate was not renewed. “Thus we have the duty to remove Gbagbo and replace him with Ouattara by this date” Pouchet and Ouattara will stand by in Gabon from the 18th of March. The mercenaries trained by Campaore will stay in Bouake until the 17th when they will transfer to Port Bouet. The new equipment will be made available to them by a convoy of 4 x4s led by IDRISS KOUDOUSS. These will join up with the rebels who will start infiltrating Abidjan from the 20th. At that time the heavy equipment and weapons provided through Burkina Faso will be made available and the rebels will take up their positions at the designated places in Abidjan.

On the morning of the 22nd the RDR will stage a march though Abidjan in which some of the rebels will participate. Colonel DUBOT will disperse his mercenaries to selected areas of the city. Then, after a planned disturbance, the coup will begin.

The King of Morocco has been made aware of these plans through a direct intervention by Jacques Chirac and has given his assistance to Pouchet and DuBott. He will help pay the advance costs of bringing out a nationwide RDR demonstration which will be the precursor of the coup.

As of this morning things seem to be going to plan. Various disturbances are being caused which are being blamed on Gbagbo loyalists.

What monumental arrogance on the part of Chirac. What has given him the right to enlist his puppet kings in Burkina Faso and Mali to train mercenaries, accept arms and heavy weapons for the rebels, and to offer aid and assistance to a bunch of thugs who live like parasites on the people of the North of the Ivory Coast. What has possessed the King of Morocco to become associated with this monumental act of folly? Even more bizarre is the dog that didn’t bark. What is going on with the 6,000 other UN peacekeepers in the Ivory Coast? Are they too afraid of losing their French subsidies and emoluments to do the jobs they were sent to do?

Where is this famous African Union three of whose Presidents are actively engaged in the sabotage and destruction of a fellow African state? This is giant shambles in which everyone but the legitimate government of the Ivory Coast comes out filthy and tainted. The big question is that of what the U.S. is going to do in this circumstance. Are they going to sit by and let the French stir up trouble in the Ivory Coast, Liberia and other neighbouring countries? Probably they will if experience is a guide.

One can only hope that the armed forces of the FANCI (the Ivory Coast Army) are ready for this and will put down the rebellion once and for all, and putting these rebels leaders in a place where they can do no more harm.

By Dr. Gary K. Busch 15/3/05
Mar 15, 2005, 15:25
Source: Ocnus.net 2004