Xenophobic violence in Ivory Coast leaves one dead, many injured
Xenophobic violence in Ivory Coast leaves one dead, many injured
Xenophobic violence against Niger nationals broke out in Abidjan after a fake news video on social media suggested citizens of the fellow African country had attacked Ivorians.
2 min read
Many workers from nearby nations come to Ivory Coast [MICHELE CATTANI/AFP/Getty-file photo]
One person was killed and several others injured in Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan after a fake news video on social media provoked attacks on Niger nationals in the city.
A video showing a brutal 2019 raid by the Nigerian army on the Boko Haram jihadist group was passed off on social media Wednesday as an incident where Niger nationals had attacked Ivorians.
That sparked violence in Abidjan's teeming working-class districts of Abobo, Yopougon, Anyama, Angre and Adjame, where hundreds of people from neighbouring West African countries also live.
"One person died and several were injured," said Abidjan prosecutor Richard Adou in a statement Thursday night, adding that 20 people had been arrested.
Ivory Coast's Security Minister Vagondo Diomande appealed for calm in the country, the world's top cocoa grower where a large chunk of workers in plantations come from nearby nations.
Facing racist abuse in Tunisia, West Africans are seeking a life-threatening boat trip to Europe for a better life
— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) May 3, 2021
https://t.co/vGtB4uYWLf
"We are a country which welcomes everybody, notably our brothers from the sub-region," he said.
"These troubles have to stop."
Niger's Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou denounced the "sad events in Ivory Coast" but added that Ivorian authorities had reacted "promptly".
More In News
