Fake Prophet, Madam Boy’s Quarters, Iyobosa and other Nigerians
In his gripping play, The Anger of Unfulfillment, Jekwu Ozoemene has captured the heart and soul of the disenchantment and discontentment of majority of Nigerians in his contemporary analysis of the Nigerian crisis. The title of his captivating book of three plays is deduced from the indignation of the victims of the lingering anomie plaguing Nigeria as desperate times call for desperate measures in the struggle for survival and a sense of belonging. The author gives us a naturalistic montage of glaring realities of the challenges of living and working in Nigeria under a corrupt government of kleptomaniacs.
He takes us into the human trafficking ring of the fake Prophet, a tall bald and bearded middle-aged man with an imposing stature and his bootylicious assistant Madam Boy’s Quarters who must have been a Nigerian prostitute in Italy and their willing clients posing as the congregation of the fake duo posturing as ministers of a Christian fellowship. The well educated non-compromising and hopeful Adesuwa who uses her blog to expose the ills in the Nigerian society and her hopeless squatter Iyobosa, the flirtatious drama queen who has lost faith in the Nigerian Dream and exploits her sexuality to comfort herself show us the contrasts of two young Nigerian women who respond to the Nigerian crisis with positive and negative resolutions. Nari, aka “General Tinker-Tailor” the Niger Delta militant with his comrades Zino and Marshall tell us the raison d'être of their revolutionary mission for resource control for which they were ready to die. The Narrator who is also Greg the repentant 419 fraudster with the hilarious Ben and Orji binging at the local bar give us informed commentary on the social, political and economic malaise in the country.
Through these principal characters Ozoemene has succeeded to use the picture of each one to capture the psyche of the unfortunate victims of the corrupt ruling class.
The other plays address other unavoidable issues such as the fears and ignorance of the scourge of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in “Hell’s Invitation” where I could see another Adesuwa in the intelligent Stella who is the only female among four young men and they are all unemployed graduates from different tribes sharing a room with only one bed and discussing the nightmares haunting their Nigerian Dream. The exciting prospects of a dream job for one of them are soon threatened by the fears of having a compulsory HIV test. In the last play “This Time Tomorrow” Ozoemene takes us into the theatre world and probably reminiscent of his days with Theatre 15 at the University of Lagos where he studied English. The principal characters address the ethics and economics of the Nigerian family, social and political sensibilities of the old and young people in Nigeria.
Ozoemene’s characters are real people one can actually recognize among us in the Nigerian society and most of them like Madam Boys’s Quarters, Nari, Iyobosa, Orji, Bimbo, Aliyu, Papa Ruka, the eccentric Professor and his wife Folake,his brilliant and smart son Jide and daughter Keji with her sexy swagger are going to end up among the most memorable characters in Nigerian drama.
If you really want to know what life is like in Nigeria in the last decade of the 20th century and in the first decade of the 21st century and how her citizens have been reacting to the challenges of surviving and succeeding in spite of the embarrassment and harassment of a corrupt government, then you should read Jekwu Ozoemene’s The Anger of Unfulfillment: Three Plays Out of Nigeria. It is a good recommendation in every collection of must read books.
~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima Thursday April 7, 2011.
From field reports all over Nigeria, the National Assembly Elections of last Saturday April 9, 2011, have not been really free and fair.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Attahiru Jega has shown that he has been overwhelmed by the herculean task of conducting free and fair elections in a nation that is ruled by corruption at all levels of public administration and the unscrupulous citizens prefer ignominious ways of life to honourable and noble values and virtues of a civilized society and they would rather practice kleptocracy instead of democracy.
One of the shocking cases of corruption is the current political drama in Anambra State over the polls in the Anambra Central Senatorial District where Mr. Alex Anene, the returning officer/collation officer of INEC alleged that his life has been threatened by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the state government, because he refused the offer of N10million, a duplex and a car to falsify the result in favour of APGA's candidate Prof. Dora Akunyili and deny the actual winner Dr. Chris Ngige of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
These are the agonies and ironies of President Goodluck Jonathan's Nigeria as vividly captured in Jekwu Ozoemene's The Anger of Unfulfillment: Three Plays Out of Nigeria as he aptly addressed the dreams and nightmares of Nigerians confronting the contemporary challenges of life in the most populous country in Africa. A nation so well endowed with great human and mineral resources, but abused and misused by corrupt rulers.
In civilized nations, the omissions of the names or logos of any duly registered political party on the ballot are enough to cancel the entire election. Therefore, let us stop all these mischievous gerrymandering of electoral fraud and do the right thing or annul the whole April elections until further notice.
I will not join in the bandwagon of political sycophants and opportunists to flatter the so called winners or pat Professor Attahiru Jega on the back until I see political equity and electoral justice in every state in Nigeria. Whatever is worth doing at all, should be done well.
These uncivilized Nigerians are not ready to practice democracy.
The following are the simple reasons you and I should not vote for the corrupt People's Democratic Party (PDP) in the April elections.
Go and read "Why do they fret over Buhari/Bakare?" on page 80 of The Guardian newspaper of today April 5, 2011.
Femi Akintunde-Johnson (FAJ) exposes the desperation of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to stop the election of the most credible and formidable presidential opponents General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) and Pastor Tunde Bakare of the transformational Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).
I challenge the corrupt PDP to pitch Jonathan/Sambo against Buhari/Bakare to prove their CAPABILITIES in LEADERSHIP on the issues of fighting CORRUPTION, tackling the nightmarish INSECURITY in Nigeria and addressing the challenges of ENERGY to power an industrial revolution to boost the economy and provide the jobs needed by millions of unemployed Nigerians.
The PDP has already FAILED on the three issues at stake since May 29, 1999 to date, after wasting billions of dollars on security and energy, causing the untimely and unfortunate deaths of thousands of innocent Nigerians in political, ethnic and religious riots and causing the closure of many factories where thousands of Nigerians lost their jobs and many manufacturers relocated to Ghana.
Buhari and Bakare are the only ones in the race who have the balls and guts to deal with the issues at stake, CORRUPTION, SECURITY and ENERGY.
WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION AND VIOLENCE
Mr. Jonathan and Sambo have shown that they cannot fight corruption and they cannot secure lives and properties in Nigeria. Majority of those supporting Jonathan do not know the gravity of what is at stake. If you ask them what the issues are, they cannot address them.
They will be mentioning the plans of their GEJ, but unfortunately the only issue he has addressed is his plan on energy, but he has no plans on how to tackle corruption and security. In fact, corruption and insecurity are now worse under GEJ.
The Amnesty programme is a billion dollar scam and the CIA, MI5/MI6, MOSSAD and NATO know that the Amnesty deal has not stopped the illegal trade by oil pirates valued at $20 million daily.
Majority of those posing and posturing as beneficiaries of the Amnesty programmes were not the real militants.
Only fools can be fooled by GEJ and his godfathers who want to use him as their political trump card to deceive the ignorant electorate to get their mandate so that they can perpetuate their corrupt rule in Nigeria. Because, the election of Buhari and Bakare will end their evil reign from Abuja to the Niger Delta. Why were they after James Ibori who was once one of their chief sponsors?
It is a pity that the misinformed supporters of GEJ have been politically hypnotized by the campaign strategists of GEJ who are using the advantage of the power of incumbency to use the national media and other government tools for their political propaganda. Mr. Ben Bruce of the Silverbird Group owes the establishment of his STV to former President Olusegun Obasanjo who did a lot for him through the late Stella Obasanjo. Therefore, Chief Obasanjo who is the godfather of GEJ is responsible for the mutual agreement between Ben Bruce and GEJ and Both of them are from the same Bayelsa State where Silverbird Group has properties and investments. OBJ, GEJ and Ben Bruce are partners with mutual interests. Ben Bruce is the brain behind the mobilization of Nigerian entertainers to support GEJ. The $200 million loan facility for the entertainment sector was a stage managed campaign strategy that was not in the budget. They can fool the ignorant masses with all their political shenanigans, but they cannot fool GOD.
A public official in President Jonathan's team has been caught by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for misappropriating the pensions of thousands of retired civil servants and he is still enjoying the loot. See the EFCC report on the N12 billion pension scam in the Pension Dept of the Head of Service (HoS).
Dear Clones of the PDP, have you heard the news?
That Nigeria under the PDP has failed woefully to meet the health target of at least 15% of the national budget for Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The PDP government has been allocating between 5 and 8 percent of the national budget to health since 2001 to date! Nigeria is one of the 17 African countries that spent less than $38 per capita as health share of the total spending of government and are off track on health MDGs.
Now you see HOW EVIL YOUR PDP IS? Do you know how many Nigerians have died, because of the govt neglect of health care? GOD will judge you all for every innocent blood shed because of your maladministration. Is this not EVIL!
Any Nigerian supporting a corrupt government is an enemy of the state. Nigerians would be better, healthier, safer and wealthier without the corrupt PDP in power. If Nigerians fail to remove the PDP by election, this political gargantuan of corruption will be sacked by a revolution.
Prof Attahiru Jega, Show Your Best Crisis Management Skills in the Next 24 Hours
As Nigerians, we must face the reality that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega has spoken and it matters not whether his reasons for postponing the April 2nd parliamentary election to Monday are realistic or not. Why, because we are in a crisis now.
What is clear is that we need an environment where this crisis could be managed effectively. There is no doubt that on a psychological and spiritual level, this sudden occurrence is a major event that threatens to harm the faith we have in the system.
INEC, on behalf of the general public should effectively manage the threatposed by this huge matter as it relates to the element of surprise, and we all expect a short decision time for this to be done.
Jega has told us that he saw what was happening in the last few hours as a crisiswhich needed to be quenched, that is a process of transformation that needed to climb above existing failures. As for the chairman, this issue need not be maintained but corrected immediately for change sake. According to Jega, if the change is not proceeded with the episode could become more of a national humiliation and fiasco—no one wants such doom.
To the credit of President Jonathan, instead of remaining outside the nation’s capital(as he was reportedly in his home town), mistakes we have seen before, even among leaders in the western world;he returned to the capital immediately, and took the first instant step required in risk management, which involves assessing would-be threats and discovering for the people the best ways to avoid further complications to this threat. In the broader context of managing this political crisis every INEC worker and those involve in executing the elections must immediately be trained in crisis management skills in addition to other skills and techniques required to pinpoint, assess, understand, and cope with any serious situation, especially from the moment it first occurs to the point of when the regaining procedures start.
According to the Nigeria’s electoral commission, some States have already began voting, therefore the sacredness of those completed ballot papers in today’s parliamentary vote, must be protected. This is not the time for casting blames or passing emotions across personnel or stakeholders at this time. There will be time for that! Because the conduct of elections falls through the 4th, the 9th and the 16th of this month, Jega must show not through apology, but through competence that within this short period of time, that all regional constituents, INEC facilities, finances and above all its reputation does not remain in crisis.
Jega must realize that good crisis management is an art in decision making required to reduce or mitigate the effects of this current episode, something needed now while the incident itself is unfolding.
Jega should realize right now, while corrective decisions are being made workers and management as well as the INEC institutions are under stress, therefore there is need to watch out for more mistakes such as missing key pieces of information that are needed now.
Essential planning is needed now in order to best position INEC for the coming elections beginning April 4th.so as to reduce further chaos and doubts over what could happen next in terms of maintaining proper logistics.
Jega must help the workers or those involve in the electoral work engage in a series of positive behaviors (e.g.Restful sleep, take a break, support personnel, releasing muscle tension, good food habits, sit in a comfortable chair, etc.).
These tips are important to enhance better time management as they relate to quick manning of the polling units, focused entering of the results in the sheets, upholding the integrity of the ballots as well as preserving the effective overall control of the voting process.
This is a very critical and sensitive time for all of us and we must avoid planting into the consciousness of some people words of apprehension, upheaval, manipulation, or division.
What Jega needs now in this short period is an unwavering support from all Nigerians as we join together to fight this sudden uproar, and if the transmission of free, fair and credible elections is what we yearn for let’s take Jega for his stressful words, and with this little delay the credibility of the elections will be fully or almost ensured. God bless Nigeria.
~ By John EgbeazienOshodi, Ph.D., DABPS; FACFE; is a Licensed Clinical/Forensic Psychologist; Diplomate of American Board of Psychological Specialties; Fellow of American College of Forensic Examiners (For Psy); Former Interim Associate Dean and an Assistant Professor of Psychology, Broward College - North Campus, Florida. joshodi@broward.edu
Money Management International Offers Actionable Tips for Improving Finances
Houston, March 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — April is National Financial Literacy Month, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Between rapidly increasing prices in gas and food along with sluggish economic growth, consumers are feeling more pinched each week. In fact, according to a recent survey by Career Builder, 77 percent of American consumers are living paycheck to paycheck.
Financial Literacy Month offers the perfect opportunity for individuals and families to change their financial situation by learning about important financial matters like creating and managing a budget, paying down debt while saving for emergencies, and creating achievable financial goals. Here at Money Management International (MMI), we care about your financial future. We are committed to bringing you the financial education you need to reach your financial goals.
The following five steps will help you on the path toward financial wellness:
1. Make a commitment – Changing your relationship with money is not an easy task; it takes hard work and a strong commitment. Visit FinancialLiteracyMonth.com and take the pledge to start on the path toward financial security. 2. Assess your financial situation – A simple quiz can help you understand your current financial position. Knowing where you are today will help you determine the best path toward meeting your financial goals. 3. Get organized – Getting your financial house organized is a great way to begin on a clear path toward financial wellness. 4. Set priorities – Understanding the difference between needs and wants will help you establish financial priorities and set realistic goals. 5. Live on a budget – Spending less than you earn is easier said than done, but a solid budget is the most important element of any successful financial plan.
“Changing your financial habits and your relationship with money can be hard work, but the payoff is priceless,” said Kim McGrigg, community and media relations manager for MMI. “The important thing to remember while on your journey to financial freedom is to stay flexible. Revisit your financial plan often and make changes as needed.”
X X X About Money Management International
Money Management International (MMI) is a nonprofit, full-service credit-counseling agency, providing confidential financial guidance, financial education, counseling and debt management assistance to consumers since 1958. MMI helps consumers trim their expenses, develop a spending plan and repay debts. Counseling is available by appointment in branch offices and 24/7 by telephone and Internet. Services are available in English or Spanish. To learn more, call 800.432.7310 or visit www.MoneyManagement.org.
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Media Contact: Tanisha Warner Media Relations 713.394.3202 Tanisha.Warner@MoneyManagement.org
ROME, March 31, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The festivities in Nigeria for the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Italian Unification began on 21 March with the opening in Abuja of a contemporary art exhibition: 30 works by Angelo Bellobono, Filippo Centenari, Fabrizio Cervelli, Stefania Fabrizi, Adriano Nardi and Davide Eron Salvadei, using both traditional techniques such as oil on canvas and innovative media on aluminium and plexiglass.
The exhibition was mounted by Marta Boeri and Marinù Paduano's M&M Contemporary Art, and was made possible through the sponsorship of ENI (through the Nigerian Agip Oil Company – NAOC) and a contribution from the construction firm Stabilini.
A reception at the embassy followed the opening, whose guests included the Minister for Women's Affairs and Minister of State for Energy of the Federal Nigerian Government. Also present were the ENI executive for Sub-Saharan Africa, the CEO of NAOC, and many other Nigerian institutional, civil society and press representatives, members of the Italian foreign service and other Italian nationals.
Ambassador Roberto Colaminè will host an exhibition in his residence on 30 March by Nigerian artist Ben Ibebe, accompanied by a reading of Nigerian poetry.
The 7th edition of the prestigious African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) was a grand event on Sunday night March 27, 2011 with the constellation of Nollywood stars and icons and the leading stars of African movies, stars from Hollywood were among the special guests and other dignitaries gracing the colourful red carpet. The following photographs are from the photo album of the event.
A happy winner with her coveted AMAA
Veteran actor Olu Jacobs
Nollywood Diva Rita Dominic
Award winning Nigerian filmmaker Kunle Afolayan
Nollywood Diva Kate Henshaw-Nuttal
Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, CEO of AMAA
Nollywood Diva Omoni Oboli and Hollywood actor Jimmy Jean-Louis
The hosts Nollywood stars Jim Iyke and Nse Ikpe Etim
Best Young Actor, ASA Drama School actor Edward Kagutuzi, star of “Mirror Boy”
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Côte d'Ivoire / West African Immigrants Massacred / UN Imposes Strong Measures on Gbagbo; Greater Civilian Protection Needed
DAKAR, March 31, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Ivorian militias and Liberian mercenaries loyal to Laurent Gbagbo killed at least 37 West African immigrants in a village near the border with Liberia on March 22, 2011, Human Rights Watch said today. In response to the intensifying abuses and descent into civil war, the United Nations Security Council on March 30 imposed strong measures on Gbagbo, the incumbent president, who has refused to step down and cede power to his rival, Alassane Ouattara.
Witnesses in Côte d'Ivoire told Human Rights Watch that armed men, some in uniform and others in civilian clothes, massacred the villagers, presumed to be Ouattara supporters, possibly in retaliation for the capture of nearby areas by pro-Ouattara forces. Several other witnesses described numerous incidents in which real or perceived Ouattara supporters were killed by pro-Gbagbo security forces and militiamen in Abidjan. Ouattara's troops are spreading south and east, seizing several key towns, including the political capital, Yamoussoukro, and moving toward Abidjan, the commercial capital, in a very fluid situation.
“Côte d'Ivoire has reached the boiling point,” said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “We are extremely concerned about the potential for further human rights atrocities, given the killings by both sides and the continued incitement to violence through the media by Gbagbo cronies.”
In a four-month organized campaign of human rights abuses, which probably rise to the level of crimes against humanity, Gbagbo's forces have killed, “disappeared,” and raped real and perceived supporters of Ouattara, Human Rights Watch has found. Armed men supporting Ouattara have also engaged in numerous extrajudicial executions of presumed pro-Gbagbo fighters and supporters.
According to UN estimates, approximately 500 people, the vast majority civilians, have lost their lives as a result of the violence. In March alone, forces aligned with Gbagbo killed at least 50 civilians by firing mortars into neighborhoods known to be Ouattara strongholds. Pro-Gbagbo forces have also beaten and hacked and burned to death numerous perceived Ouattara supporters at checkpoints set up by militias.
On March 25, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated that between 700,000 and one million people have been displaced, largely from Abidjan. On March 29, UNHCR reported that 116,000 Ivorians have fled to eight West African countries: Liberia, Ghana, Togo, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, and Nigeria.
On March 30, the UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution that calls on Gbagbo to leave office and urges a political solution to the crisis. The resolution demands an end to violence against both civilians and the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI). It urges the UN operation to use all necessary means to carry out its mandate to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence.
In addition, the Security Council resolution calls upon all parties to cooperate fully with an international commission of inquiry put in place in late March by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate human rights violations committed in Côte d'Ivoire. Finally, the resolution adopts targeted sanctions against Gbagbo and four close associates, including his wife, Simone.
Human Rights Watch has urged all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and end the targeting of civilians and extrajudicial executions, and has called for UN peacekeepers to enhance civilian protection. The UN operation needs equipment, such as helicopters, as well as additional deployments of well-trained and equipped troops, Human Rights Watch said.
Human Rights Watch has also stressed the importance of accountability for atrocities. The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has repeatedly indicated that it will prosecute crimes committed in Côte d'Ivoire if the ICC's requirements for investigation – which relate to the gravity of the crimes and the inadequacy of national proceedings – are met. An investigation could be triggered by a referral of the situation by the UN Security Council or any state that is party to the court, or if the prosecutor decides to act on his own authority. While Côte d'Ivoire is not a party to the court, it accepted the court's jurisdiction through a declaration in 2003. The Security Council resolution references this declaration and states that the report of the commission of inquiry should be provided to the Security Council and “other relevant international bodies.”
“The massacre of West African immigrants, targeting of civilians in Abidjan, and massive displacement are deeply troubling and require an effective response,” Bekele said. “The UN should prepare for the worst and do all it can to protect everyone in Côte d'Ivoire who is at grave risk of horrific abuse.”
Massacre at Bedi-Gouzan
Human Rights Watch interviewed five witnesses to the March 22 massacre by pro-Gbagbo militias of at least 37 West African immigrants. The killings took place in the village of Bedi-Gouzan, 32 kilometers from the town of Guiglo in western Côte d'Ivoire, the day after combatants loyal to Ouattara had captured the nearby town of Blolequin. Bedi-Gouzan is home both to Ivorians and to an estimated 400 other West Africans, most of whom work on the cacao plantations in western Côte d'Ivoire. The witnesses said that many of the attackers, who spoke English, appeared to be Liberian, while the vast majority of victims were immigrants from Mali and Burkina Faso.
The witnesses said armed men fighting on behalf of Ouattara passed through Bedi-Gouzan as they advanced toward Guiglo at approximately 1 p.m. on the day of the attack. At about 3:30 p.m., witnesses said, at least four cars containing scores of pro-Gbagbo militiamen, some in military and some in civilian dress, and some speaking English while others spoke French, attacked the part of the village where the West African immigrants live. The witnesses said the militiamen killed the immigrants inside their homes and as they attempted to flee.
Human Rights Watch received a list of 27 Malian victims, but witnesses said that the Malians' relatives, who had fled into the surrounding forest and later briefly returned to the village, counted up to 40 dead. The witnesses said the attackers were armed with automatic weapons, rocket-propelled grenades, and machetes. The witnesses believed their village had been attacked in reprisal for the military advance in the area by armed Ouattara supporters. As the attackers left, they pillaged and in some instances burned houses, looting any items of value, including motorcycles, money, televisions, mattresses, and clothing.
Several witnesses described a clear ethnic element to the targeting of victims. A 36-year-old witness said: “They came in accusing us of being rebels, and said, ‘If you're Dioula (from Northern Côte d'Ivoire), you can try to flee if you can, if you're Guere (natives of the area and largely supporters of Gbagbo), stay, we're not concerned with you. But if you're Malian or Mossi (Burkinabe, from Burkina Faso), we will kill you.' And then they started killing.”
An 18-year old Malian woman described hearing the attackers yelling, “Fire them, fire them all,” in English as they descended from their vehicles and started to kill. She said she and many other women and children were saved by a female Liberian rebel who intervened to stop them from being killed.
A few witnesses, including a 16-year-old interviewed by Human Rights Watch, were wounded by machetes during the attack: “They beat me, saying they were going to cut my throat; they slashed my arms with a machete saying we were rebels.”
He and others, like this 28-year-old Malian man, survived after paying money to the attackers:
At around 3 p.m. we heard the sound of heavy trucks coming, and ran into our houses. The men fired into the air, then started breaking down the doors…saying, “Fire, fire” and, “You're rebels, we'll kill all of you.” We heard shots, and screams. They were killing people. My family and I were cowering in our home; after breaking down my door they screamed that I should give them money, or they'd kill me. I gave them all I had - 84,000 CFA, and the keys to 3 motorcycles. I begged them not to kill me….I was terrified…but it saved my life. The commander said, “If it wasn't for this money, you'd be dead.” But not everyone had money… they killed a Burkinabe man in front of me…and later in a nearby house, I saw them kill 5 women… just a few meters away. They screamed, “Give us money!” The women pleaded saying they didn't have any….then they shot them…three inside the house, two just outside. They ordered four of us to carry the goods they looted to their truck…. As I walked through the village I saw at least 20 bodies and heard women and children wailing.… I saw them setting houses on fire and was told some villagers were burned inside.
A 34-year-old man from Burkina Faso described seeing 25 people killed, and noted what he believed to be a clear motive for the attack:
As they were killing people, they accused us of being rebels…They said other things in English that I couldn't understand. I saw 25 people killed with my own eyes. They killed women, with children, with men. They said they'd kill us all. They forced the people out and they killed them, just like they said. Most people who live there in the village are Burkinabe, Malians, and Senoufo (an ethnic group from Northern Côte d'Ivoire.) They killed people in front of the door to their house after pulling them out. One man opened his door, two guys dragged him out, and they fired their Kalashes [Kalashnikov rifles] into him. Also I saw an entire family killed. The man, two wives, the man's little brother, and their kids – two kids 9 and 5 years old. They killed them like it was nothing.
Ethnic Targeting in Abidjan
Since armed men loyal to Ouattara attempted to expand their control of areas in Abidjan into the Adjame and Williamsburg neighborhoods on March 16, dozens of civilians have been killed, either deliberately, or through excessive use of force. Immigrants from West Africa and active members of political parties allied to Ouattara were particularly targeted.
A 40 year-old man from Burkina Faso was one of nine West African immigrants detained by armed and uniformed men he believed to be policemen at a checkpoint in Adjame on March 29, and later taken into a police station and shot. Six of the men died, and the other three, including the witness, were wounded:
At 8:30 a.m., I was stopped by a checkpoint in Adjame on my way to work. They asked for my ID and after seeing my name, told me to get into a 4x4 nearby. I got in; there were 8 others there. The police vehicle took us to the 11th police commissariat. Just behind the commissariat there is a camp, which is where all happened. The police pushed us in and yelled at us, “Are you brothers of the rebellion?” I said no but obviously it wasn't a real question. Then they said, “If you are Burkinabe, go over there to the left. If you are Malian, go to the left.” So we all went left. Then they turned left and fired on us…6 of us died. I got shot in the arm and the kidneys and it looked bad so they left me for dead. The police left directly after. It was clear they were police because of their uniform; even the 4x4 was a police vehicle, marked as such, and the camp was the police camp at the commissariat. Two of the dead were Burkinabes; I learned the other six were Malian, including the two other survivors. I couldn't sleep last night because of the sutures and the memories. I will try tonight.
An Ivorian driver described the March 28 killing of three Malian butchers by militiamen wearing black T-shirts and red armbands, which are typically worn by neighborhood militiamen. The men shot the butchers as they were in the process of fetching a cow in the Williamsville neighborhood. A Senegalese man who was shot in the arm in the Adjame neighborhood by armed men in uniform on March 17 described how two of his Senegalese friends were shot dead in the same incident: “The armed men pointed their guns at them shot them…they didn't ask them any questions, they just shot them point blank.”
Another witness described the March 30 killing of a civilian who was stopped at a militia checkpoint in Adjame:
At noon, the militiamen stopped a pick-up truck and asked the driver and his apprentice for their ID papers. The driver was told to go ahead, but they pulled the apprentice out of the passenger seat and fired four times at him; his body is still in the street. This is their way of targeting foreigners…they judge your background from your ID papers. If you're an ECOWAS national or from the north, they take you out and – too often – shoot and kill. With some ten such checkpoints in Adjame now, these kinds of incidents and killings are becoming the norm.
Another witness described how he saw local militiamen conducting house-to-house searches and manning checkpoints on March 21 and 22 in Williamsville. He said he saw them kill three people, including two of his friends who were murdered in his house.
The violence in Adjame provoked the mass exodus of West African immigrants and Ivorians of northern descent from Abidjan or led them to take refuge in West African embassies.
For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Côte d'Ivoire, please visit:
