La Côte d'Ivoire renforce ses frontières face à un afflux "inhabituel" de réfugiés maliens
The Ivorian government announced on Thursday a strengthening of security on its northern border, in response to an "unusual" influx of Malian refugees fleeing attacks by "armed terrorist groups" in southern Mali.
Since September, the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) has been targeting tanker trucks transporting fuel from Senegal and Ivory Coast, through which the majority of goods destined for Mali transit.
Several vehicles were set on fire, and drivers and soldiers were killed near the Ivory Coast border.
On Wednesday, hundreds of people fled the area around Loulouni, 50 km from the Ivory Coast border, for other Malian towns, after a jihadist attack against traditional dozo hunters who opposed them, according to local sources speaking to AFP.
In a statement on Thursday, the National Security Council (CNS), which brings together the Ivorian security apparatus, said it had "been informed of several unusual flows of refugees, coming from Mali".
"These flows are believed to be due to attacks perpetrated against civilians by armed terrorist groups in several locations in southern Mali," he continued, ordering "the registration of these asylum seekers."
Furthermore, the CNS asked the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces to take appropriate measures to strengthen security at the country's northern borders.
Ivory Coast is already hosting some 90,000 refugees from neighbouring Burkina Faso, which is also plagued by violence from jihadists as well as auxiliary militias of the Burkinabe army.
The CNS also addressed on Thursday the issue of securing the legislative elections of December 27.
He initially praised the "smooth conduct" of the October presidential election, despite "a few incidents" that, according to him, resulted in 11 deaths, 71 injuries, and 1,658 arrests. The opposition, for its part, cites a death toll of 27 during the campaign and on election day.
The CNS announced the retention of 44,000 elements of the Defense and Security forces already in place for the presidential election, in order to secure the legislative elections.
He finally decided to extend for one month, until January, the ban decreed in October on demonstrations for political parties and groups "with the exception of those which are part of the electoral process".
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Avec les menaces terroristes on doit pas attendre
Une nouvelle date sera fixée ultérieurement. Selon certaines sources, cette décision a été prise de concert entre les autorités mauritaniennes et sénégalaises, compte tenu de la situation actuelle au Sénégal.
Une mesure qui vise à garantir les conditions nécessaires au bon déroulement de la visite et à la mise en œuvre du programme de coopération conjointe, indique-t-on.
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