Ivory Coast promises to pay protesting soldiers

Ivory Coast’s Interior Minister, Hamed Bakayoko, has promised the government will meet demands for back-pay by thousands of protesting soldiers.

He made the promise in a television statement after soldiers blocked roads in the country's main cities in protest.

Mr Bakayoko also said soldiers would not face sanctions for protesting.

The payments are due to about 9,000 former rebel fighters who were later integrated into the army.

The fighters had been part of forces loyal to Alassane Ouattara, who took office as president in 2011, ending a civil war.

Earlier yesterday, Defence Minister Paul Koffi Koffi ordered the soldiers to return to barracks after they blocked roads in the main city Abidjan and the second city Bouake.

By this morning soldiers had returned to their bases in the cities of Abidjan, Bouake and Korhogo, reopening several key routes to traffic.

BBC