Ivory Coast’s Weapon Gate

by Le Magazine de la Diaspora Ivoirienne et des Ami(e)s de la Côte d’Ivoire | 1 octobre 2010 12 h 56 min

Ivory Coast Weapon Gate

Amateurism, blindness, mistrust or greed? There are more than enough words to describe yet another violation of the arms embargo on weapons to the Ivory Coast.

Since December 2004, the Security Council adopted resolution 1572 imposing an arms embargo on the Ivory Coast. The objective being to enforce a ceasefire agreement between the warring parties and to consolidate the fragile state of ‘neither peace, nor war’ which reigns in the country.

If all the experts of the UN and other independent observers are of the opinion that this embargo is not always respected, at least those involved would do it discreetly. Regrettably, it is not always the case. This time, the Ivory Coast authorities did not consider it useful to take all the necessary precautions. Determined to mast the opponents, Gbagbo’s regime did not hesitate to pay out no more than 6 billion FCFA unofficially, and officially 2 billion FCFA to place an order of 4 000 automatic pistols, 200 000 9mm ammunitions and 50 000 teargas grenades with a disreputable supplier based in the United States.

Since 2009, the U.S. Government, through the FBI, had already embarked on the trail of these traffickers with whom the Ministry of Defence of the Ivory Coast entered in to business. An Ivorian Colonel by the name of Yao N’Guessan, was picked up at the airport in New York while trying to leave the country following the conclusion of a contract to purchase $2 billion worth of weapons. After verification, the afore mentioned Yao N’ Guessan, colonel of the Ivorian army and advisor to the Ministry of Defence, thus co-worker of Minister Amani N’Guessan. Presented before a federal judge, he faces a prison sentence of 10 years for the illegal trafficking of weapons to the Ivory Coast, violation of the arms embargo and for posing a threat to the internal security of the United States. Following the publication of this affair, Minister Amani N’Guessan livened up a press conference on September 16th 2010, to deliver his version of the facts. In his speech the Minister acknowledged the facts and justified the operation by making clear the security requirements involved in organizing the upcoming elections. He also explained that the Ivorian government had sent a letter to the Security Council of the United Nations to attain relief from the embargo. Have the Ivorian authorities been reckless in engaging in any transaction that is both questionable and risky without taking the minimum precautions necessary? Why then did the Ivorian defense minister, if he really wanted to play fair, not wait for the response to the request before embarking on this game of disorder that has impacted negatively on the image of the country?

On the side of the FBI, the reason has been well understood. After the arrest of Colonel Yao N’Guessan, and the attempts to explain the forceps of his supervising minister, those belonging to Homeland Security (the department of the internal Security of the United States), with the FBI as head, are convinced that this illicit trafficking of arms, involves several personalities at the top of the Ivory Coast Goverment. And so, they have updated and compiled a blacklist of Ivorians to be immediately stoppped as soon as they cross the U.S. border. Of the fifty Ivorian’s appearing on this blacklist, we were able to obtain the following names through a diplomatic source who wishes to remain anonymous, they are: Amani N’guessan, Affi N’Guessan, Bro Grebé Geneviève, Miaka Oréto, Kadet Bertin, Koré Moise, Guai Bi Poin, Tagro Desiré, Siaka, Tchimou Raymond, Angel Kessi, Seka Seka Anselme. This list is not exhaustive, because according to those close to the the matter, Colonel Yao N’Guessan, who will not run alone, continues to cite the names of those involved in this coup.

Certain members of the Ivorian diplomatic corps also appear on this blacklist.

Persons with access to some embassies even claim that an international warrant could be issued against these figures with the involvement of Interpol. U.S. authorities, according to our source, are determined to pursue and to arrest the perpetrators of this umpteenth coup. This is important to the image of the USA. This case, they say, is an opportunity for Homeland Security to demonstrate that America is still credible, by enforcing UN resolutions and by tracking those who may be a threat to the internal security of the country.

A high-level meeting was even held during the UN summit between the authorities of the United States, France, the European Union and some African heads of state on this matter.

By Daniel Atteby & Sara Lipowitz
Info: Le Patriote, Ivory Coast