Ivory Coast ex-rebel commanders promoted after mutiny deal
ABIDJAN- Ivory Coast's president has promoted two former rebel commanders who sided with the government in talks to quell a mutiny earlier this month.
President Alassane Ouattara's office announced late Thursday that Lt. Col. Issiaka Ouattara would now lead the Republican Guard, where he was formerly second-in-command. It also said Lt. Col. Cherif Ousmane would move from the presidential guard to head an elite commando unit.
The two were rebel commanders during the civil war that split Ivory Coast from 2002 to 2011. They were also instrumental in the 2011 conflict that brought Ouattara to power after his rival, ex-President Laurent Gbagbo, refused to cede office. That power struggle claimed more than 3,000 lives.
On Jan. 6, former rebels-turned-soldiers in Bouake, the old rebel capital, mutinied over grievances including unpaid bonuses promised for their role in the conflict. The uprising quickly spread to other cities including the commercial hub, Abidjan.
