June 29, 2007 assassination attempt on Guillaume Soro

The June 29, 2007 assassination attempt on Guillaume Soro took place at the Bouaké Airport in Côte d'Ivoire. The Fokker 100 carrying Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, members of his delegation, and 20 journalists was taxiing on the runway after landing when it was targeted by rocket and Kalashnikov fire. One rocket struck and exploded in the cabin, one missed, and a third bounced off the fuselage and did not detonate. [ [http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21993208-5005961,00.html "Rocket hits Ivory Coast PM's plane, kills four"] ] Four people were killed and ten others wounded; Soro was not injured. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6253484.stm "Rockets fired at Ivorian PM plane"] , BBC News, 29 June 2007]

The attack took place in a tense political climate, following the end of the Ivorian Civil War in 2004 and the Ouagadougou Accord of March 2007 which granted the New Forces, a former rebel group, the right to participate in the government. Guillaume Soro is the leader of the New Forces.

The identity of the attackers remains unknown.

Accusations and suspects

Several rumors concerning the masterminds of the attack have circulated in the Ivorian press. Among those suspected:

* Chérif Ousman: commander of the New Forces linked to Guillaume Soro [fr [http://news.abidjan.net/article/?n=255047 "Attention ! Le processus de paix en danger - Shérif et Zakaria veulent tout gâter"] ] but opposed to the Ouagadougou Accord. He reproached Soro for not having consulted with him before signing the accord. [fr [http://www.Africa1.com journal de la radio Africa n°1 (29 June 2007)] ]

* Ibrahim Coulibaly, former rebel leader and New Forces member who is an enemy of Soro. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/01/06/news/Ivory-Coast-French-Journalist-Arrested.php Ivory Coast arrests French journalist accused of 'subversive activities'] ]

* The United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI): accused by the New Forces of having failed to secure the location, which was their responsibility. [fr [http://fr.allafrica.com/stories/200707020584.html "Côte d'Ivoire: Attentat manqué de Bouaké, Wattao accuse l'ONUCI"] ]

Reactions

Guillaume Soro sought an international investigation, adding, "Many have commented [on the attacks] , but I will stay out of the fray. The only thing I ask is that I want to see the truth exposed, to know what happened, who did it, and why it was done." [fr [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/cote_ivoire/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=XIN70027leprenoivan0 "Le Premier ministre réclame une enquête internationale sur l'attaque de son avion"] ]

The attack was unanimously condemned, notably by:

* Laurent Gbagbo and his Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) political party, who on Monday July 2, 2007 strongly condemned the attack against the Prime Minister Guillaume Soro as "with their last energy, a final attempt orchestrated and carefully planned by the enemies of peace and the bloodthirsty." [ fr [http://www.afriquenligne.fr/actualites/securite_-_conflit/cote_d'ivoire:_le_fpi_condamne_l%92attentat_200707021347/ "Côte d'Ivoire: Le FPI condamne l’attentat"] ]
* The French Minister of Foreign Affairs Bernard Kouchner condemned "the cowardly attempt" on Guillaume Soro. [fr [http://www.lejdd.fr/cmc/scanner/international/200726/attentat-soro-kouchner-condamne-_33919.html "Attentat Soro: Kouchner condamne"] ]
* The UN also condemned the attack as stated by its Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and the Security Council declared that "the perpetrators of this criminal act must be brought to justice." [fr [http://www.latribune.fr/info/L-ONU-condamne-l-attaque-contre-Guillaume-Soro-en-Cote-d-Ivoire-732-~-AP-ONU-COTE-D-IVOIRE-SORO-ATTAQUE-$Db=News/News.nsf-$Channel=Monde "L'ONU condamne l'attaque contre Guillaume Soro en Côte d'Ivoire"] ]
* Philippe Mangou, Chief of Staff of the Ivorian army, supported the Prime Minister. [fr [http://news.abidjan.net/article/?n=255432 "Mangou soutient Soro: "Dorénavant si quelqu’un s’en prend aux FN il aura affaire aux Fanci"] ]
* Charles Blé Goudé also condemned the attack. [fr [http://www.lenouveaureveil.com/a.asp?n=252508&p=1643 "Blé Goudé, depuis Bouaké - “Que celui qui n`est pas content aille faire sa guerre ailleurs”"] ]
* The Assistant Chief of Staff of the New Forces, Issiaka Ouattara, stated that he knew who was responsible but would give names later. [fr [http://fr.allafrica.com/stories/200707030240.html "Côte d'Ivoire: Issiaka Ouattara dit Wattao, c'est Gbagbo qui nous a sortis du trou, soutenons-le"] ]

Effect on cocoa prices

Since Côte d'Ivoire is the most important cocoa producer in the world, the price of this raw material reached its highest level in four years on the London Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange. This was because of "the possible worsening of the situation in Côte d'Ivoire, after the rocket attack to which Guillaume Soro was subjected," according to a stock market analyst [fr [http://www.24heuresci.com/economie1.php3?action=lire_message&id_mnews=2232 "Après l'attentat contre Soro : Les prix du cacao flambent"] ] .

National mourning

On July 13, 2007, the Ivorian government organized a national memorial service for the victims of the attack, namely: [fr cite url
url=http://www.fratmat.info/1,,,1_fgfd10,,1.php?,__=eb,,0-0&el=FAPZW6&bv=GWFA1IH52D
title=Obsèques nationales pour les victimes
source=Centre d'informations et de communication gouvernementale (CICG)
date=2007-07-10
accessdate=2007-09-09 ]
* Sékou Doumbia, member of the "Protocole d’Etat" serving the premiership
* Souleymane Sérifou, member of the "Protocole d’Etat" serving the premiership
* Ex-Lieutenant Drissa Ouattara, Prime Minister's security chief
* Ex-Corporal Siaka Diomandé, Prime Minister's bodyguard

References

External links

* [http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/photo/2007/07/01/2005070673 Photo of the damaged plane]
* [http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20070629-0 Aircraft accident description]