AFRICA/IVORY COAST - At least 6 people killed in an assault on a police station in Abidjan

Abidjan (Agenzia Fides) - At least six people died in the early morning hours of August 6 in an assault on a military camp in the Cocody district located in the north of Abidjan, the economic capital of Côte d'Ivoire. "There is still very little news, partly because tomorrow is Independence Day and there are no newspapers" is what is reported to Fides from Abidjan. "The situation, however, is calm." The assault on the military camp Akouédo occurred in the aftermath of the killing of 5 soldiers during an attack on a police station and an army checkpoint in the district of Yopougon, west of Abidjan.
"There are still too many weapons in circulation, sad legacy of last year's clashes between forces loyal to deposed President Laurent Gbagbo and those who supported the current President Alassane Ouattara," say our sources.
"Despite the peace agreements that included disarmament of the militias and the recovery of the weapons distributed to the supporters, nothing has yet been done in this field."
"Just before the decisive battle for the control of the Presidency, the prisoners had been released from prisons and were given weapons" remind our sources. " So criminal gangs were formed that also created problems to the parishes. There were in fact violent robberies in different churches, but now after a few gangs were captured, security has improved in the parishes. It is unfortunately true that several criminal groups continue to hang around ", say our sources. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 06/08/2012)