Audio By Carbonatix
The bodies of six people believed to have been killed during a July raid on a camp for displaced persons have been found in a well, an official in the western Ivory Coast town of Duekoue said Thursday.
Paul Mondouho, the town's vice-mayor, said authorities had been alerted to the mass grave by a survivor of the attack who recently returned.
On the morning of July 20, a mob descended on the U.N.-guarded Nahibly camp, which housed 4,500 people displaced by the country's recent post-election violence, burning most of it to the ground. Officials said at the time that six people were killed.
"I think there is a link between the July event at Nahibly camp and these new bodies," Mondouho said Thursday. "I think that those people were killed during this event. ... In July some people who escaped the violence gave us the information that many bodies could be found in different wells," he said. "But because of the insecurity in the area, we couldn't investigate that. And the witnesses also fled the place. It's one of them who came back to Duekoue and showed the well in which the six bodies were put."
He added that local officials suspected more bodies might have been hidden in other wells.
The attack was prompted by the shooting deaths of four men and one woman on the night of July 19, according to local officials and residents. The mob of some 300 locals overran the camp on the morning of July 20 after the perpetrators of the shootings reportedly fled there.
The victims in the July 19 attack were members of an ethnic group that largely supported current President Alassane Ouattara in the November 2010 election. By contrast, the camp primarily housed members of an ethnic group that had largely supported Gbagbo. Gbagbo's refusal to cede office despite losing the election to Ouattara sparked six months of violence that claimed at least 3,000 lives.
In the aftermath of the attack on the camp, several witnesses testified to the involvement of members of the Republican Forces of Ivory Coast, the national army created by Ouattara, as well as traditional hunters known as dozos. Both military and dozo leaders denied the claims, saying they had tried to protect the camp.
A Justice Ministry statement read on state television Thursday night said an investigation had been launched to identify the bodies discovered in the well and determine when they were killed.
U.N. spokeswoman Sylvie van den Wildenberg said the U.N. had received a report from civilians on Wednesday that a mass grave may have been found in Duekoue. A joint team of U.N. and Ivorian authorities began investigating Wednesday night and were able to find what appeared to be a human bone, she said.
Ivorian authorities then continued the investigation Thursday, van den Wildenberg said.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
This is an attempt to break the Minority caucus – Patricia Appiagyei on alleged GH¢70k payment
44 minutes -
‘OSP hasn’t contacted me’ – Patricia Appiagyei assures cooporation if invited
58 minutes -
I find it strange that this memo was purportedly written by me – Patricia Appiagyei
1 hour -
Ayariga calls for stronger church partnership to tackle sanitation, environmental challenges
1 hour -
I don’t think we have an industry – Patchbay Band manager
2 hours -
Patchbay Band questions recognition of live bands in Ghana’s music industry
2 hours -
Newsfile to discuss SOEs’ GH¢19.8bn profit, dissolution of 9 boards, CJ’s visits to SOEs, GH¢70k gift rejection
2 hours -
BoG warns against spraying, defacing and using cedi notes for decorations
2 hours -
Adwumawura: Selected applicants to receive notifications from today – NEIP CEO
2 hours -
‘Fake memo’ fabricated to smear me – Patricia Appiagyei
2 hours -
ATLF2026: Culture, investment and tourism take centre stage as Africa’s tourism leaders gather in Polokwane
3 hours -
TI-Ghana and GACC demand full disclosure over alleged GH¢70,000 Appointments Committee payment
3 hours -
UN approves resolution in support of map that shows Africa’s true size
3 hours -
Spring Agro Industries urges Ghanaians to choose local rice as imports dominate market
3 hours -
Youths in Oti push for stronger policies on SRHR and gender-based violence
3 hours