NEW FORCES MUTINY IN TOWNS OF SEGUELA AND VAVOUA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABIDJAN 000459

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/14/2018
TAGS: MCAP MARR PGOV IV
SUBJECT: NEW FORCES MUTINY IN TOWNS OF SEGUELA AND VAVOUA

Classified By: POLITICAL/ECONOMIC SECTION CHIEF SILVIA EIRIZ FOR REASON
S 1.4 (B/D)


1. (C) Summary. New Forces troops in the center-west towns of
Seguela and Vavoua rioted on June 28. The troops in Seguela
called for the reinstatement of their former Commander,
Zachariah Kone, who had been removed by Prime Minister Soro
in May. The soldiers in Vavoua protested the government's
failure to pay their regroupment bonuses. Soro publicly
criticized the uprisings, which raised questions about his
ability to control the New Forces. Soro has remained in
Bouake since June 29 except for a brief visit to Abidjan to
meet President Gbagbo upon his return from the African Union
summit. Gbagbo has announced plans to visit Seguela on July

14. End Summary.


2. (U) New Forces troops in the center-west town of Seguela
attacked the residence of their new Zone commander, Issiaka
"Wattao" Ouattara, on June 28. According to a July 4 press
release issued by the New Forces, mutinous New Forces troops
attacked other New Forces troops who fired in self defense,
killing one of the attackers and wounding two of them. The
same day, New Forces troops in the town of Vavoua, also in
the center-west, took four New Forces officers hostage.

CLASHES REFLECT FINANCIAL AND POLITICAL GRIEVANCES
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3. (U) The uprising in Seguela was to demand the
reinstatement of Zone Commander Zachariah Kone, who was
dismissed by Prime Minister Soro in May after failing to
attend a regroupment ceremony. Kone's specific whereabouts
remain unknown although numerous press reports indicate he is
in Burkina Faso. Wattao was named interim commander and
there have been allegations that he removed troops loyal to
Kone from economically lucrative checkpoints and other
positions. The confrontation in Seguela seems to have been a
clash between Kone loyalists and Wattao loyalists. The
events in Vavoua, on the other hand, were prompted by the
failure of the government to pay regrouped troops the 90,000
CFA (circa USD 415) bonus to which they are entitled. The
troops also complained that their food rations had been cut
and that they were no longer provided with medical treatment.
Order was restored to both Seguela and Vavoua by June 30 and
the hostages in Vavoua released with the assistance of
impartial forces -- United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire
(UNOCI) peacekeepers and French "Licorne" troops. However,
the underlying reasons for the tensions in Seguela remain.


4. (C) A contact close to the Prime Minister told Ambassador
July 8 that the reason Zachariah Kone failed to attend the
regroupment ceremony in May and the reason his troops
subsequently refused to accept a new commander is that they
disagree with Soro's regroupment strategy. According to this
source, Soro wants the New Forces to comply with the OPA and
regroup before the election, regardless of whether other
conditions have been met, to avoid criticism from the Gbagbo
camp. Kone believed regroupment should wait until
reintegration mechanisms, i.e., the civic service, the PNRRC,
etc. are in place and it is clear that identification
documents will be issued. Kone's absence from the ceremony
was meant as a signal to his troops that they did not have to
follow Soro's orders. New Forces Chief of Staff General
Soumaila Bakayoko began discussions with the riotous troops
on June 30, but walked out of one of the meetings when the
atmosphere reportedly became too acrimonious. On July 3, the
troops reportedly agreed to be regrouped and, according to
press reports, were taken to Kani on the 3rd and on the 4th.
An aide to PM Soro told Ambassador, however, that the
mutinous troops had been broken up into three groups and sent
to different locations in the hope that this would end the
trouble. One group agreed to be regrouped; the remaining two
were sent to serve in a different zone under a different
commander.


5. (C) Prime Minister Soro was in the New Forces stronghold
of Bouake on June 29 to attend ceremonies marking the
one-year anniversary of the rocket attack on his plane in
which 4 of his collaborators were killed. He said th
actions of the rebellious troops risked discredting the New
Forces and that his removal of Konewas an issue of military
discipline. He attributd the delay in payment of bonuses to
the governmnt's budgetary difficulties. Soro has remained
n Bouake sine June 29 and has indicated to a numbe of
contacts in Abidjan that he may not return util he is
certain the funds to pay scheduled bonues are available.
President Gbagbo has announced plans to visit Seguela on July
14, a step that is being perceived as a deliberate slap at
Soro. Long-time observers believe the President's objective
is to demonstrate to the New Forces that he is reasserting
his authority over the nation, and that the New Forces should
no longer look to Soro as their commander. Emboffs plan to

ABIDJAN 00000459 002 OF 002


travel to Seguela later that same week.


6. (C) Comment. The events in Seguela and Bouake once again
raise the question of how much control Soro actually
exercises over the New Forces. These disturbances are a
reminder that the New Forces, which were an amalgamation of
three different rebel groups (the MPCI, MJP, and MPIGO),are
fragmenting as their future and economic prospects become
increasingly unclear and the regroupment process advances.
In Cote d'Ivoire's Machiavellian political climate, some have
speculated that President Gbagbo's camp could be
intentionally orchestrating discontent among the New Forces
by refusing to release the funds necessary to pay the bonuses
due to the regrouped troops. Whether or not this is true,
there is clearly a level of discontent within the New Forces
that could have an impact on the election and it is equally
clear that a continued failure to pay bonuses on time is
likely to lead to renewed outbreaks of violence. End
Comment.
NESBITT