Liberia declares Ivory Coast Young Patriots leader, 9 others wanted
Liberia declares Ivory Coast Young Patriot leader, 9 others wanted
--a Liberian ex-rebel commander also on list
The former leader of the disbanded Young Patriots in Ivory Coast, a group loyal to ex-President Laurent Gbagbo, Charles Blé Goudé and nine others have been declared wanted by Liberian authorities.
Mr. Ble Goude and the rest of the wanted men are thought to be linked to recent cross border raids in the Ivory Coast.
The former radical Young Patriots leader is also wanted back home by the Ouattara government for alleged crimes committed during the post election violence in 2010/2011. Since the capture of Gbagbo in April last year, Ble Goude’s exact whereabouts have not been known.
The Liberian government's wanted list in full are: Isaac Sayou Chegbo (alias Bob Marley), Amos Cheyee, Bobby Sharpee (alis Julu), Gen. Congbe Norman (alias Col. One Way), Nehzee Barway, Ofore Diah, Tailey Gladier (Alias Igwe), Abednego Zleh, Charles Ble Goude, Didier Gbagbo.
Human Rights Watch last week said the Liberian government was failing to arrest and prosecute Ivorian militants and Liberian mercenaries who were recruiting children in Liberia and were responsible for cross border raids in the Ivory Coast. But the Liberian government later denied the rights group’s report.
HRW also said some 40 civilians have been killed in cross border raids from Liberia in Ivory Coast towns since last year.
Just days after the rights group's report was released, 7 UN peacekeeping soldiers were killed in an ambush in Tai, an Ivorian town near the Liberian border and at least 8 civilians were killed. Further clashes were reported by the UN peacekeeping force in the same Western region of the Ivory Coast between dissidents and Ivorian security forces/militia in which 4 persons were said to have been killed.
As WADR’s Monrovia Correspondent William Selmah reports, a former Liberian rebel commander is also on the list of the 10 wanted men the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf government announced on Thursday.
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At the same time, a member of Gbagbo's political party has denied the Alassane Ouattara government’s allegations that exiled military officers loyal to the ex-leader were plotting to overthrow the government.
Tcheide Jean Gervais, the treasurer for the Popular Front Party has reportedly said there was no evidence of such a coup attempt, accusing president Ouattara’s regime of concocting the story for political reasons.
On Wednesday, the Ivorian government said it had foiled the coup attempt and arrested several people, including Colonel Kate Gnatoa, who was identified as the leader of the group.
Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said a “clear link” was found between Moise Lida Kouassi, a former defense minister, and the alleged plan to form a new transitional government.
He said Kouassi confessed about his involvement during a police interrogation after he was arrested in Togo and extradited to Abidjan last week.
