Workers of Edipress, a newspaper distribution company in Cote d’Ivoire, have been held hostage on the company’s premises by armed personnel of Gbagbo-controlled Defence and Security Forces (FDS) of the Ivorian army since 20 hours GMT on March 10, 2011.
All the distribution vans of Edipress tasked to convey the March 11 newspapers are locked up at the premises.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)’s correspondent reported that the action of the FDS is to prevent the circulation of Pro-Outarra newspapers which are likely to carry the latest outcome of the 265th meeting of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU) held on March 10 reaffirming Alassane Ouattara as the President of the Country.
Earlier, the correspondent said the Gbagbo-controlled state-owned Ivorian Broadcasting Corporation (RTI) in its 8pm news misinformed the Ivorian public showing a representative of Gbagbo who said the meeting was ongoing. The UN radio had already announced that AU’s decision to recognise Ouattara as President.
Following the action of the FDS, the distributors have also refused to circulate pro-Gbagbo newspapers. Meanwhile, a meeting has been scheduled between the management of the Edipress and the FDS to find a solution to this problem.
