Security Advisory (18 January 2017)
January 18, 2017 in Ivory Coast
Executive Summary
Witnesses have reported that gendarmes left their base at the port of Abidjan on 18 January, firing in the air and telling companies with offices there to close. The gendarmes then moved out of the port area and blocked a major road in the city’s Treichville neighborhood, halting traffic and resulting in residents fleeing home. There have been no reports that this incident has affected operations at the port in Abidjan, however any vessels calling at this port are advised to check ahead with port authority. In the city of Bouake, guards fired their weapons in front of the main prison in a bid to pressure the government into paying them more money. On Tuesday, at least two soldiers were killed in the capital Yamoussoukro, just hours after the government began paying bonuses to former rebels.
Security Advisory
Weeks of unrest appear to be showing no signs of easing and the violence is now apparently spreading amongst the security forces of the country. In order to prepare for civil disorder we recommend the following immediate action:
- Have a weeks supply of life support, including fuel
- Keep vehicles out of site in repair shops and stripped of valuables
- Be prepared to hand over vehicles if forced
- Keep a manifest of all staff and report daily
- Book all staff off site and back daily
- Do not go out before 0900 and be back by 1500 to avoid peak traffic and obvious car jacking times
- Ensure all staff have adequate air time and have emergency numbers and control post numbers to hand
- Establish a Duty Manager roster so that there is always a responder ready
- Email all movements to a central point so that there is a running record
- You should expect to see increased government forces traffic and presence if tensions increase
MS Risk continues to closely monitor the situation in Cote d’Ivoire and we will issue further bulletins as more information becomes available.
