Ivory Coast's former military ruler, Robert Guei, and a top government minister were killed today during an armed mutiny. Another minister was kidnapped, and several senior army officers are unaccounted for.
Guei's body was found near a hospital in Abidjan's Cocody district following the mutiny, which broke out around 3:00 a.m. local time (04.00am Irish time).
General Guei had earlier been blamed by an aide to President Laurent Gbagbo, who was in Italy on an official visit, for the uprising in the west African country. Officials also put the mutiny down to troops disgruntled at the prospect of imminent demobilisation.
Interior Minister Emile Boga Doudou, one of the heavyweights in President Gbagbo's government, was said by diplomatic sources to be dead after an attack on his Abidjan home.
An informed source had earlier said he was wounded.
Renegade soldiers were in ‘total control’ of the country's second town, Bouake, 400 km north of Abidjan. Sports Minister Francois Amichia was reportedly abducted by renegade troops there, and the regional military commander was killed.
But the mutineers were beaten back when they attacked military bases in the commercial capital.
