Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Gangs of young men blocked roads and burned cars in Abidjan and other cities this week, in a protest against President Laurent Gbagbo's handling of a toxic-waste dumping scandal. Gbagbo recently reinstated three top officials who had been suspended for their roles in the scandal. Last August, sludge was dumped in the open air at several sites around Abidjan, and the fumes killed 10 people. "Gbagbo has restored assassins from the toxic-waste affair," said youth leader Kouadio Konan Berti. "Ivorians cannot accept that." Gbagbo further inflamed public opinion when he sent one of his militias to lock Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny out of his office. Banny has been investigating the scandal. Ivory Coast has been split between a rebel-held north and government-controlled south since 2002, when a coup attempt against Gbagbo sparked a civil war.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
-
5 hilarious cartoons about the George Santos expulsion voteCartoons Artists take on Santa versus Santos, his X account, and more
-
Places that are already seeing a boost in tourism due to climate change
The Explainer Warmer temperatures are moving travelers north
-
6 snow-or-sun hotels to visit this winter
The Week Recommends Make your winter dreams a reality at these properties
