Ivory Coast: October 9, 2003

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One of the 12 suspects arrested in Burkina Faso for allegedly plotting a coup against President Blaise Compaore died in police custody on the night of October 8. The suspect, Moussa Kabore, was born in the neighboring Ivory Coast, but became a Sergeant in a Burkinian army unit based in Ouagadougou. Kabore, supposedly hanged himself using a piece of cloth cut from his military uniform. An autopsy was ordered to be carried to confirm the cause of death on the 9th. Following Kabore's death, the chief prosecutor ordered a revision of the detention conditions of the coup suspects, each of whom was staying in an individual bedroom.

That same day, Lieutenant Phillipe Minoungou was also arrested in connection with the coup attempt, while trying to jump over a fence into the United States embassy. Minoungou had been serving at the elite Burkian military unit of Po, 100 km south of Ouagadougou.

Alleged coup mastermind Captain Diapagri had supposedly visited "key officials" in the Ivory Coast and Togo in September. Skeptics in the Ivory Coast don't believe that the alleged coup attempt in Burkina Faso was so simply 'foiled' and think it indicates that Compaore and company are worried that the failure of Ivorian rebels marks the beginning of internal turbulence in their own country. To delay this, he is trying to rally his compatriots around a "Burkinabe" patriotism. - Adam Geibel


 

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