RCI - Ivory Coast Blog

The Vignal Report on President Gbagbo
Renaud Vignal was French Ambassador during the coup attempt of 19th Sept. 2002. Whereas Bédié of the PDCI fled to the protection of the Canadian Ambassador, Alassane Ouattara, leader of the RDR, narrowly escaped a gendarmerie attack on his mansion in Cocody-Blokosso by fleeing to the German Ambassador’s residence next door – which had no German military security. Ex-Head of State Guéi was hunted down by gendarmes in the Catholic Cardinal’s precinct at the Cathedral and assassinated. A Presidential spokesman, Lida Kouassi, Minister for Defence, announced that he was on his killed on his way to announce the coup on State television.
On orders from Paris, wearing a bullet-proof jacket, Vignal personally, with French forces, extracted Ouattara and placed him under French diplomatic protection. Eventually, during the visit of the French Foreign Minister, De Villepain, ADO was extracted from Ivory Coast. From that moment neither of these men was the flavour of the month for the pro-Gbgabo forces, especially the pillagers-patriots who announced the Ambassador’s imminent recall – which occurred in December 2002.
According to the account of the Vignal report in “La Lettre du Continent ”, in its n° 437 of 18th December 2003, after having praised Gbagbo and in fact passing over the security problems prevailing in the country, and the problems of businesses and the African Development Bank, in the hope that France would come it its aid, after Sept. 19 2002 Vignal became vitriolic and condemned President Gbagbo as the worst Head of State his country has had and the most anti-French. The falling out with Gbagbo and the pro-Gbagbo forces was in part related to the fact that with the Ivorian troops showing themselves as incompetent and unable to retake Bouaké (in spite of the French providing fuel, munitions and transport), Gbagbo wanted the French to fight the war for him.
The French, and Vignal, continued to see the ‘war’ as an internal problem rather than an external aggression, and were not prepared to fight the war for the Ivorians – but rather decided to put an end to it by intervening between the forces in the name of protecting their nationals and others. From that moment of the refusal to activate the French defence accords, Vignal seems to have become the target of the pro-Gbagbo forces at the Presidence as well as the young “patriots”. And up to the present, some extremists still blame the French for the time the war has lasted – whilst people on the other side wanted the French to withdraw so the rebels could take Abidjan.
Vignal and De Villepain could not win. But De Villepain will be back in Abidjan on Sunday 1st, no doubt getting a better welcome than he received last time, when a mob was organised to block him at the President's residence, as this time his visit will in part be in preparation for Gbagbo’s trip to Paris next week.

Ambassadors Move On
The departure of the dynamic American Ambassador has been announced as has the Ivorian government’s approval of one David Coates as British Ambassador to replace François Gordon who will be leaving Ivory Coast in July.

New Telephone Charges to Apply February 1 2004
Dearer for Abidjan, cheaper for overseas calls. Your local phone charges will go up since, at the beginning of 2003, local charges were by 3 minutes and half-price the night and at weekends. Even the off-peak advantage has been eaten away AND it does not apply to calls when using the Internet.
1. Uniform charge for Abidjan and throughout the whole of the country: 59F TTC PER MINUTE. (Before Sept. 1, the local cost was 77F for 2 minutes, and half-rate at night.) The charge is 54F per minute off-peak (after 7 p.m., at weekends, on public holidays).
2. Emergency calls to SODECI Dépannage, CIE, Viga, Lavegarde, etc. 59F TTC PER MINUTE.
3. Calls Ci-Telcom to a cell phone in Abidjan: 213F per MINUTE.
4. Calls Ci-Telcom to a cell phone outside Abidjan: 316F per MINUTE.
5. Calls to an Internet Service Provider from or to anywhere in the country: 54F per MINUTE. In other words, one hour of Internet connection costs you a flat rate of exactly 3.186F TTC just for the phone connection.
International Calls – Some Examples
USA/Canada: 468F per MINUTE
France/Monaco (Zone 1): 411F per MINUTE
European Union: 468F per MINUTE
African countries (Zone 2): 468F per MINUTE (Mali, Guinea, Benin, Cameroon, BF, Ghana, etc.)
Other African countries (Zone 3): 586F per MINUTE (Sth Africa, Nigeria, RDC)

Nouveaux tarifs du Téléphone fixe

Le Patriote - 1/26/2004 1:19:34 AM

Côte d’Ivoire Télécom poursuit le rééquilibrage de ses tarifs. Après les modifications introduites au mois de septembre dernier, l’opérateur s’apprête à appliquer de nouveaux tarifs à compter du 1er février prochain. Un tarif unique de 50 FCFA HT(59 CFA TTC) la minute (heures pleines) sera ainsi appliqué à l’ensemble des communications nationales. «Une innovation majeure», selon l’opérateur dans un communiqué de presse. Le tarif inter-urbain qui était précédemment fixé à 130 F HT, la minute, disparaît. Ces nouveaux tarifs sont de nature «à favoriser les échanges régionaux et à accompagner la politique de régionalisation et de développement équilibré», assure-t-on du côté de Côte d’Ivoire Telecoms. Ils représentent toutefois un renchérissement de 5 FCFA de la facture téléphonique pour les communications urbaines. Il faut rappeler que lors du réajustement de septembre 2003, l’unité de communication était passée de 2 min à 1 mn, alors qu’elle était de 3 min au début de l’année. Parallèlement, son coût est passé de 65 FCFA HT à 45 FCFA HT. Ce qui représente une hausse globale de 23,34FCFA (+10,75%)du prix HTde la minute de communication. Pour les communications fixe-cellulaire, le prix en zone Abidjan reste inchangé (180 FHT/mn) tandis que les appels hors zone d’Abidjan vont coûter 268 FCFA HT/ mn à partir du mois de février également. Les surfeurs à l’internet ne sentiront pas le changement. L’accès par le réseau téléphonique demeure à 45 F HT/mn. La baisse des tarifs sur l’international se poursuit. Toutes les destinations sont concernées. En voici quelques-unes. Pour les appels à destination de la France et de Monaco, la minute est passée de 450 Fcfa/HT à 348 FHT (23 % de baisse). Dans la sous-région, la baisse est de 10 %. Soit de 440 FHT/mn à 396 FHT/mn. En ce qui concerne les USA, le Canada, l’UE, le Vatican, la baisse atteint 24%. Le coût passe de 520 FHT/mn à 396 FHT/mn etc.

D. S. et K.B.J.

Problem with Ivoir-Net
I've got a problem with my ISP at the moment. They assure me that it only affects people with Windows 98. :-) Great consolation. Meanwhile I'm working in a cyber but on this PC the A: drive is not working. So I'll post again later. Have a good week.

The Marcoussis Anniversary
Tomorrow 24th January represents the anniversary of the Linas-Marcoussis Agreements. Even if there has been a lot of blustering, of procrastination, of tango dance steps and of face-saving manœuvres since then, Marcoussis prevented the Liberian style civil war many feared – in spite of the incredulity many Westerners expressed about having a reconciliation government including the rebels as a political force. But Ivory Coast is not Australia nor, thankfully, America, otherwise such a political compromise could not be contemplated, with all the opposing forces sitting at the table of Ministers while the country is still divided. There is little doubt that Seydou Elimane Diarra is the ideal unflappable Prime Minister in this situation and he has been willing to lay it on the line for Gbagbo and the rebels aka New Forces – and he has had the consistent support of Jacques Chirac and Kofi Annan as well as the West African leaders. Things are moving on, and pragmatic President Gbagbo can see that Marcoussis represents his chance to be elected as the unifier *wink wink* of the country. Hence his surprising turn-about on 4th December at Yamoussoukro stating that all the Marcoussis accords are to be implemented to the very end. And things are indeed moving on, just a little faster than before, and the bills concerning the main contentious issues have been studied and approved by the Ministers. Now the question is whether they will be voted by the National Assembly or approved by referendum, the latter being Gbagbo’s solution in order to once again show that the “street” is on his side, as always. If by referendum, that will delay matters significantly. The mind boggles at the idea of the present Administration organising a referendum in territory it does not control. One would never dare imagine that the voting figures might be tampered with on one side or the other – any more than they would be for a presidential election.
There is also some dragging of feet concerning the DDR, Demobilisation, Disarmament and Reinsertion of the young thugs recruited by both sides – including the mercenaries and militias, which is another matter that should have been resolved a long time ago.
What will save the day is the fact that things really have to be resolved before the October 2005 elections (not least of which are who can be candidate and who can vote, and with what documents showing they are Ivorian), unless President Gbagbo can see that he can squeeze an exceptional extension to his mandate because of the difficulties of having everything ready in time. After all, he is still the master of that time-table even if many of his cronies young and old have a vested interest in things continuing as they are for some time.
Marcoussis has not only saved his regime. It can assure his re-election, and he knows it. In this he will be helped by the splits in the other parties, with Emile Constant Bombet (Interior Minister under Bédié) and Charles Konan Banny (of the BCEAO) lining up against former President Bédié, Fologo muddying the waters, and the RDR almost as divided, and then the MPCI dividing the northern vote that the RDR so much needs. Gbagbo now has only to do things right to be the hero of the day as he was against Guéi -- and to appear to be a real statesman.

RFI Journalist Killer gets 17 Years
Killings by the police, gendarmerie or soldiers are almost never punished here. But this murder of a French journalist incensed Chirac and perhaps all the international community, though the pro-Gbagbo press tried to justify it in certain ways, for example, suggesting Jean Hélène was a rebel supporter in East Africa or that he may have forecast the end of the Gbagbo regime – as if that is a capital crime. This was one murder that could not be covered up, and Gbagbo knew it, symptomatic as it was of the racism often evident in this country of hospitality [sic!]. Somewhere the order was given that this case should be fast-tracked. So the policeman has been judged in an open court and given 17 years – coincidentally three weeks before President Gbagbo is expected to go to France on an official visit.

Shooting in Cocody-Riviera on Night 20th/21st January
The sanitized explanation of this is that it was not a revolt but the expression of an outbreak of joy on the part of some of the 4000 pro-FPI recruits which Gbagbo said he wanted to keep in the army -- in spite of the Yamossoukro agreement between the FANCI and the Forces Nouvelles, and the Marcoussis provision, foreseeing their demobilisation. After all, many of these guys were among the professionally unemployed before volunteering as "patriots", and they do not want to loose their "job" and perks -- like other "patriots" will with the end of the "war".

The Papal Nunciate Mgr Mario Zenari Speaks Clearly to Gbagbo
There was none of the too common Protestant style kowtowing before the President or the party in power during the Papal Nunciate’s New Year’s Wishes speech delivered as “head” of the diplomatic corps. Zenari laid it on the line and pointed out to Gbagbo that apart from God there is an impartial and severe judge who will judge the delays and lost chances for peace: the people who have suffered because of the mismanagement and manipulation of this crisis (the refugees, those who have not had medical and administrative help, the starving children, the mother dead in childbirth after fleeing on foot). At last, he said, the conviction has taken root that there is no alternative to the process of reconciliation proposed by the Linas Marcoussis and Accra agreements. He also said: If, as President Gbagbo himself has said, we are on the last straight line, let’s have no distraction but give our energy to it. Meanwhile President Gbagbo is reported to be hesitating to implement the demobilisation of the 4000 or so pro-war pro-party recruits, as foreseen by the Marcoussis agreements.

The RTI Appointments Again
The discussion is still going on, but President Gbagbo has just said on the occasion of the formal presentation of New Year’s greetings that “it is a banal incident”, putting it into much the perspective I gave earlier. However, ex-rebel Soro, Minister of Communication, has not come out of this all power and glory. He has had to recognize that the appointment was ultimately approved by Gbagbo, whereas a couple of months ago he had been saying that these things were to be decided by ministers alone.

Obligatory Ivorian Driver’s Licence Fee
Further to Todd Aebischer’s comments about his problems in this regard, Gina Zein of the Canadian Embassy has provided the following helpful information.

"About getting Ivorian driver’s licence: We have always indicated to Canadians or Australians that over 90 days stay (when on vacation, tourist visa can be used as a proof) they would have to get an Ivorian licence; so this is not something new.
Please note that the Canadian embassy's fee for the attestation + a certified true copy of the driver's license costs $ CAN 50.00.
The correct contact is Mr Allou, 20-21-72-93 and upon verification, he confirms that file fees are about 8.000 cfa (and not/not 100.000 cfa !!!!)."

HOWEVER, I suppose this will not prevent anyone trying to rip you off if they can. Hence, no doubt, the question to Todd (as if it was a Senegalese market): "How much are you willing to pay?"

HIV Testing
You or your staff may want/need to have a HIV test for some reason. The laboratories charge between 20.000F and 25.000F and give the result back in the afternoon of the same day.
The blood bank is free if you offer as a donor, and a week later they give a print-out showing your status for HIV and hepatitis B, etc. On the second donation, they give a donor card with photo.
If you just go there for a test, they are less happy, but if they can fit you in, it costs about 3000F.
Similar fee at the Institut National d’Hygiène Publique just behind the CHU in Treichville. By all reports they are very efficient. Go at 8 in the morning, they interview in private, then take the specimen. The result is given a couple of days later in the afternoon, and a trained social worker-cum-counselor is present during the follow-up interview.
Go to the DAV section (look for that sign inside the building on the left) at the Institut d’Hygiène Publique. (It also does tetanos, hep B, meningitis, yellow fever injections, etc., and issues replacement yellow WHO international health booklets)
The CIPS (Immeuble Noguès, Plateau) is free and anonymous (people just get a number) but it is crowded.

Target Bouaké
On 15th the Prime Minister Seydou Diarra said to the press, “We’ll go together to Bouaké” - which is the main city in ex-rebel territory and, in size, the second city of Ivory Coast. That is obviously still the goal for a government ministers’ meeting in the near future. And out of these current Ministers’ meetings also came the decision to start the next stage of the anti-polio campaign in Bouaké where medical matters have been neglected for over a year. The UN is still aiming for eradication and nobody wants a repetition here of Nigeria’s recent exporting of polio infections to Cameroon, Benin and Togo (where in the latter two countries it had been eradicated). After some recent blustering, it is now likely that the President will go to Bouaké at the end of this month with a French security detachment, to officially declare the end of this situation of neither war nor peace. Then he will be able to make his equally delayed trip to France – for good behaviour.

The Fuss about the RTI Director
The television station is installing revolving doors for its director. He comes and goes, comes back again, and then goes again. At least that is the story of Georges Aboké whose removal is now creating much discussion and some concern among Ivorians simply because it is such a media event. It’s really a bit of a non-event except as politicking. And perhaps in the interest of a more independent TV (much as the Fraternité Matin -- from which the new Director comes -- is so different from the genuflecting pro-government newspaper of just a couple of years ago) and perhaps less nepotism. Soro had him removed before, then he was reinstated when the New Forces did not accept the Defence and Interior ministry appointments (which seems to have been part of that deal). Now NF leader (?) Soro is back asserting himself as Minister of Communication, and after an interview with President Gbagbo, Aboké is again removed in spite of a coterie he has at the TV station and some political support (which is probably a good enough reason for Soro to want him out). Nobody seems to have discussed much the merits of Aboké as director nor those of his replacement. After having interrupted the TV news yesterday afternoon, the staff of the TV station now seem less concerned about Aboké’s replacement than about the way it was done. But cunningly Soro has said that the RTI Council of Administration meeting took place on orders from President Gbagbo while staff say there is currently no such structure as a CA. Disinformation? No doubt some TV staff are very anxious whether they will be going now as well.

Reconciliation Government – All NF Ministers Present 14th January
Wednesday all New Forces ex-rebel ministers of the government were present at the Council meeting – even if, for reasons that are not clear, Guillaume Soro left early “for another appointment” (would you believe?). Today they were to meet again and apart from the bill establishing the ONI Mark II (Office National d’Identification), something that concerns many of us, they were to foresee the creation of the Office National d’Immigration (with what initials? I wonder).

The Harmattan is here
Those readers waiting for the Ivorian elections in 2005 or whenever, and sitting the time out with some nostalgia in Europe, America or elsewhere, will not be surprised to know that it is Harmattan time here in Abidjan. The dust brought down by the breezes from the desert is hanging over the city. Other countries have their mistral or sirocco or whatever, but even though it is somewhat oppressive, the harmattan is different in that it is welcomed for the drop of about 6-10°C in temperature that it brings.

The Powerplay IB-Soro Continues
Support among the New Forces (ex-rebels) for the leadership of IB (still under a cloud in France) and Soro is divided and IB is trying to consolidate his position. IB, who may well have been responsible for the planning and running of the rebellion from his villa in Ouagadougou, has virtually said that the leadership of Soro is responsible for the looting of the BCEAO central bank in Bouaké (though early in the peace Soro tried to put the blame on rebel forces coming from Korhogo or elsewhere) and that those rebels responsible should be pursued, and that this would have his, IB's, support. Now in the face of Soro's threat to have Blanchi removed from the government, for continuing to sit with the other ministers during the ex-rebel boycott, Blanchi has cunningly decided to look for, you guessed it, IB's decision on the matter.

Niet to Multiple Referenda
Almost everyone seems to be lined up against President Gbagbo on the question of multiple referenda. The Marcoussis agreement seems to foresee just one referendum concerning eligibility as President. Multiple referenda are likely to muddy the water - particularly with the pro-FPI patriots-cum-looters still in the pay of who know who. Also they would make the logistics more complicated in the run up to an Oct. 2005 election -- in a still divided country. True Fologo is in favour. But he is back in the Gbgabo stable -- though it looks like he would later like to run a race on his own. Against Gbagbo's position is Kofi Anan, "IB" and Soro (agreed on this point in spite of their differences) and even the PDCI (saying that the new laws should go before the National Assembly). ADO is apparently not opposed, but he is an absentee landlord and may find his later electorate in the north at least divided between the New Forces as a political force and the RDR. Soro is trying to get into a strong position for the 2010 elections. Now there is an Ivorian planning ahead!

The Political Situation is Looking Better
The situation is looking better every day. Yesterday Gbagbo and Soro talked together for about an hour. A bit like old times. And the peace sounds from Soro afterwards were positive. If there is some concern among the ex-rebels, it is what will happen when the pro-FPI pro-Gbagbo young army men recruited after Sept 19 2002 are demobilised. Won't there be a revolt on their part? Well, everyone had that concern long ago. And a lot depends, I suppose, on what they are offered as a package on being discharged.

UN Peace-Keeping Force for RCI
This week the Sect.-General presented to the Security Council his report recommending, inter alia, according to the Fraternité Matin, a UN force of about 6200 people to work along side the French Licorne force and incorporating the current CEDEAO and UN forces. These troops will have a police keeping and judicial role of sorts in the Forces Nouvelles territory and are meant to prevent human rights abuses in government territory. This is intended to open up the country and give a peaceful lead-up to the elections programmed as from Oct. 2005 and they will no doubt stay for some time after the whole election programme is finished.

Bad Bus Accident in Plateau
A bad bus accident in the Plateau on Thursday at the main post office below the Presidence produced 160 injured (some described as critical) when it rammed a tree at speed. I came on the scene soon after. It was impressive and sad to see so many people on the ground under the sun. I thought that if it had been a plane, or if it had happened in the USA or Europe, it would have made international news.

Vehicle Registration – Foreign Registered Vehicles
There may be readers driving around Abidjan with a vehicle registered in Liberia or Ghana. All such vehicles must be registered correctly before end January or they will be impounded by the police. Anyone wishing to see the newspaper article giving the details and requirements can contact me by e-mail.

Carte de résident for Ivory Coast

As we all know, the Carte de séjour requirement was suspended a year ago while they worked out the details. At the Council of Ministers this week, the National Reconciliation Government decided to replace the former Carte de séjour with a Carte de résident and how to stop the intimidation of foreigner in the country. No details of cost have yet been given. At the same time they tried to agree under what conditions and how a Carte d’idéntité nationale would be issued to Ivorians. The process of “identification” has ceased while the new details are worked out and implemented.

International Crisis Group Report on Ivory Coast and Liberia

This report just issued concludes that Blaise Compaoré was no doubt aware of the plans by the Ivorians in his country to carry out the attempted coup d’Etat which led into the "rebellion". Charles Taylor was directly implicated in the creation of two of the rebels groups in the West of RCI, these comprising mainly Liberians and Sierra-Leonians.

This corroborates missionary eye-witness testimony of "rebels" coming across the border from Liberia under the leadership of regular Liberian troops.

President Gbagbo, for his part, is said to have armed other Liberians, contribuing in this way to a new anti-Taylor rebellion, the MODEL force. Elements of a tribal militia for the recrutement of which Gbagbo is said to have contributed, the FLGO, fought beside the MODEL troops in Liberia with tacit American support, this contributing to the pressure on Taylor.

I might add that it is the consequences of this mess in the West which will be hardest to resolve. The north-south problem is nothing compared with the bloodlust still existing between the Guéré and the Yacouba, which parallels the Liberian situation. The murder of General Guéi, and let’s add, of his family and staff, as explained these last few days by the Catholic Cardinal, Bernard Agré, has created an animosity that will not just go away. We can expect that the west will not be opened up as fast as the south-north axis, particularly as militia seem to be still active in those regions west of Gagnoa.

The Sick US Dollar

The US dollar is continuing its decline and is expected by the economists to bottom at about 504FCFA ($1.30 to the euro). Thursday it was at 513F and the Pound Sterling was at 941F, with the euro at 655F.

And for those interested in trivia, thanks to the decline of the American dollar, the Ozzie dollar has climbed to 393FCFA.

The CNN currency conversion site is in the sidebar at right. (Do you need anything else in that sidebar?)

05050505

Ce service d’appels gratuits sur répondeur ne semble plus marcher. Problème de réseau ? Je ne sais pas.
This Telecel free voice mail service does not seem to be working at the moment.

Dialing in to Ivoirnet (or not doing so)

Ivoirnet had a short circuit on Thursday and were down to one modem. Hence it was very difficult to log into this ISP. If you are reading this, the problem is resolved, you are with another ISP, or you have had an answer to prayer and you were able to dial in after all.

Compuserve Mail Problem

Why people use this service or AOL as an ISP in Africa, I have no idea. But there are a couple of very frustrated missionaries able to send their emails with Compuserve at the moment but not receive. Can anyone help with a suggestion as to how to resolve the problem? Efforts made by friends contacting Compuserve in the USA have got nowhere.

Ex-Rebels Back in Reconciliation Government Meetings
This is good news, showing an improvement in the situation. As of Tuesday 6th Jan. five of the ex-rebel (Forces Nouvelles) ministers were present at the reconciliation government executive meeting in the presence of the Prime Minister and President Gbagbo. It is hoped that the others will be there as further Marcoussis matters are discussed today Wednesday and on Thursday as these bills are rushed through consideration and amendment. A lot has to be done before reunification, the referenda and the elections, theoretically in October 2005.

Further to the Question of Obligatory Ivorian Driver’s Licence
Todd A. writes to the Abidlink group:
We just attempted to get Connie's Ivorian License today. I got
mine in October of 2000, purchased the form for 5,000 FCFA, paid the
embassy's fee of $30.00 for certification of the license, paid the timbre and
certification at the police station, and then deposited the form at office
#18, Tour C, 3e étage, and waited about a month for the official permit.
Today, when I got there I was advised that "everything had changed" and that
the price was now 100,000 FCFA for an exchange. I said that was
incredulous, and that we hadn't paid that in the past. So they asked, well,
"How much will you pay?" At that point it was obvious that we were up
against the typical West African negotiations. I told them that we were
missionaries and that we weren't in a position to pay such exorbitant fees.
I was told that we could go to Vridi, to the "Guichet Unique" - wherever
that is - and request an exemption from the 100,000 FCFA from the "director".
What's up with this? Has anyone else had a similar experience to date?

Who wants to go through that mess? I wonder how much you will be fined “on the spot” if you do not have the Ivorian licence? 2000F perhaps? 1000F if you say you are a missionary? What a system!

It is a bit like with the radar. Nobody is going to take the ticket from the gendarmes and go all the way to Vridi to the OSER office within the 48 hours to pay the 2000F fine and hope that their licence was sent there by the annoyed and frustrated gendarmes. Everyone seems to pay the 1000F “on the spot fine” *wink wink* and get on their way immediately.

Market at the Plateau Cleared
The market traders knew it was coming but for most of them the Town Hall authorities have not made any alternative arrangements. Who wants to go to the old Carena site on the autoroute leading to Attécoubé? Who wants to go and buy there? If you bought your computer consumables and other things from the market at about 70% of the shop prices, you will have to track down your trader. Some of the computer people have taken over the old OrIvoire store.
At least this destruction was not preceded by a mysterious fire like happened to most of the markets in Ivory Coast (Man, Bouaké, Treichville, Yamoussoukro, etc.) before the redevelopment of the site. Guess who the mayor of the Plateau has made a contract with for this one?

More about Ivorian Driver's Licences

Further to my early note about Ivorian Driver's Licences, Doug and Paula Simrell (Mission Baptiste Méridionale) have posted the following information to the Abidlink group. Obviously non-Americans will have to contact their appropriate embassy for the authentication of their current foreign licence.

You should ask for your former licence back at the time you get the new one. Some people have been told they can have it back when they hand in the Ivorian one, but that would be extremely incovenient for most people.

Doug and Paula wrote:
We have just become aware that it is now necessary to have an Ivorian Driver’s License if you are living here and have been here for over 90
days. The requirements are:
1. Have your American Driver’s License authenticated at the
American Embassy. Each person must go personally. This costs around
18,000cfa.
2. Your license will then need to be translated into French.
3. 4 Photos (the same picture)
4. 1 photocopy of your passport.
5. Fill out form provided and have signed and stamped by Police
Officer. The stamp will cost around 1,000cfa.
The American Embassy in Abidjan is open to Americans on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8am - 12noon and Tuesday and Thursday from 2pm – 4pm.

French Peacekeeping Forces Now in Korhogo
After having moved into Bouaké on a permanent security basis (rather than sit outside the town) when the central bank there was raided, by 3rd January the French forces have settled into Korhogo, in theory to respond for the safety of the population and property. This must be a good thing and should contribute to reunification. It is encouraging that they have been accepted if not welcomed by the Forces Nouvelles (ex-rebels).

Messages vocaux GRATUITS avec TELECEL

Je reprends ici quelques renseignements déjà envoyés aux listes e-mail.

Pour faire des appels gratuits en message vocal avec TELECEL vers TELECEL, composez d’abord le 05050505, ensuite le numéro de votre correspondant.

Après le bip sonore, laissez le message sur leur répondeur (auquel l’utilisateur aura accès en composant le 123 ou 444) et racrochez simplement comme à la fin de n’importe quel appel.

Si vous faites une erreur en composant le numéro, relancez la procédure en composant encore le 05050505.

Ce système de message vocal marche même sans unités sur votre puce, ce qui semble confirmer ce qu’on m'a dit: que ces messages vocaux ne sont pas facturés.

Si vous ECOUTEZ un message vocal, c’est une bonne idée de le sauvegarder en appuyant sur 4 juste après l’avoir écouté. Ceci vous permettra de contrôler plus tard les détails ou le numéro utilisé en choisissant 1 après avoir appelé la messagerie.

FREE TELECEL Voice Messages

To make free calls from TELECEL to TELECEL, dial 05050505 then enter the # of your friend. After the bip leave a voice message for their phone which they will access by dialing 123 or 444.

If you make an error dialing the number, you must start over or it will not work.

Calls are possible even if you have no units left on your card which seems to confirm what I was told: that these voice message calls are not charged.

If you LISTEN to a voice message, it is a good idea to save it by pressing 4 just after listening to it. This will allow you to later check details or the number that called you by pressing 1 in after dialing the message service.

E-Mail 2 Cell Phone

Wherever you are, you send can an e-mail text message to any TELECEL phone in Ivory Coast from your regular e-mail program (Outlook, Eudora, Pegasus, Yahoo, Hotmail) by simply putting the person's Telecel number followed by sms.telecel.net, in the form 05xxxxxx@sms.telecel.net

You must use PLAIN TEXT (Texte brut) format (without attachments, obviously, but you can even FWD an e-mail in this way).

The email-SMSes can of course be prepared off line and queued like any e-mails. You can use the CC or BCC options if you like, to send to several phones at the same time, or even mix with ordinary e-mail addresses.

The email is not necessarily limited to 160 characters. Longer emails are split up and sent as fractions, e.g. 1/7, 2/7 etc., coming in as smaller messages with that fraction indicated. In practice the limit for e-Mail 2 SMS is about 1000 characters.

Telecel users can try the system by just FWDing some short email to their phone number, addressing it as explained above. If it does not work, you are using Rich-Text Format and must choose the plain text option.

Your e-mail address will be shown at the top of the incoming SMS.

I stress that this service works even for Yahoo and Hotmail and probably other Webmail services. Some people using Outlook or AOL are having problems, apparently as their editing is not in PLAIN TEXT format. Outlook sometimes uses MS Word for editing and that may put in hidden codes.

If it bounces, check whether you edited with PLAIN TEXT (without bold, italics, etc.). If you are having problems, try WITHOUT a Subject in the Subject line. Also, do not use more than about 12 characters for the Subject.

TELECEL Phone 2 e-Mail

You are on the move and you do not have an internet connection at the moment. Or you want to send a small urgent e-mail. No problem. Send short emails anywhere in the world via your TELECEL phone for the cost of a local cell phone call.

Do it with you Telecel phone in this way:

Choose the "New SMS Message" or "New Text Message" option of your phone.

Put in the email address of your friend/relative and the message in the form:

name@whatever.com SPACE (short Subject in BRACKETS) SPACE YourMessage

Choose SEND (as you would normally do with an SMS) and just put in the number 777 as the number it is to be sent to, and send it!

Try doing it to your email account first if you’d like to check how it looks.

For your short e-mail, you can have up to 160 characters in all including the subject.

When the Watchmen Are the Robbers
A bit of a laugh. In September four French soldiers guarding the raided BCEAO bank in Bouaké apparently did what soldiers have done since time immemorial: they decided to get their share of the loot. One on guard is accused of having entered the bank and taken a bag will 38 million CFA (60.000 euros – and a lot more dollars than that!) which he then shared with three sharpshooters. The catch, of course, was that they needed to change the cash in Abidjan as they could not cash the CFA in France, and that’s where they came unstuck. So there was something to that accusation in September by the ex-rebels that the bank robbers were members of the Licorne force. It was partly true, anyway.

DIAL-UP INTERNET SERVICES
IVOIRNET offers unlimited Internet Access for just 10.000F per month.
The service is good as they work on the back of AFNET.
Most of the other service providers charge THREE times that per month, plus 18% tax.
Phone Ivornet 20324773 or 05849977 or drop in to their internet café cum office just across the road from the Canadian Embassy/Trade Center.

AVISO has a good deal for those people with limited needs, say only 1 hour per day on line. They have special offers which include both the phone calls and the ISP service. (That way you are not billed for your calls when you log in to your AVISO account.)

New ADSL Service

You are seeing the billboards all around the town. To sign up for this service on your phone line you must see your Telecom Commercial Centre. (There is an efficient woman at Cocody Telecom just handling this.) You must then choose an ADSL Internet Service Provider (ISP) as well.

This ADSL internet service may be of importance to some readers.
With on-line local phone charges alone costing 545F TTC for just
10 minutes (now that the local phone unit is only 1 minute), some
may have found their local phone charges jump enormously.
If your local monthly bill per month is about 80.000F HT then you really
should consider ADSL.
ADVANTAGES: It is perhaps about 20 times faster than dial-up, is a permanent connection which does not block your phone, and there are no local phone charges.
Monthly cost about 95.000F TTC.
DISADVANTAGE: Set-up is expensive -- about 212.400FTTC all up, including the modem at a robbery price of 141.600FTTC which you must buy from Telcom.

This set-up total includes also activation by Telecom and Aviso or
Afnet. The Afnet service charge is 53.000F TTC per month,
whereas Aviso is 41.300F TTC per month. There is a monthly
Telecom service charge of 53.000F TTC whichever you take as
your ISP.

BE ADVISED that Arob@ase will enter the market for
land-line phone services as of the beginning February, and they
already have their fibre optic cables installed around the town. The
competition may shake up Telecom which will lose its present
monopoly, and they may drop some charges as they were obliged
to do for international calls because of the competition from the
internet cafés.

BTW, dial-up charges for Internet from Ykro and towns in the
interior to the Abidjan ISPs like Aviso, AfricaOffLine and Afnet are
now billed by Telecom at the LOCAL not interurban rates.

AFNET ADSL Services Blurb
Thanks to Stan Walker (C&MA) for sending me this AFNET text.

ADSL (Asymetric Digital Subscriber Line ) is a broadband technology that supports high speed communications over old telphone lines. Although higher speeds are possible, current offerings in the Ivory Coasts are limited to 128Kbps download and 64Kbps upload speeds.

To obtain ADSL, you need to acquire an ADSL connection from your local
PTT, and an ADSL subscription from your ISP. As with dialup and ISDN
access, the PTT will route your ADSL connection to your ISP. Needless to
say, the quality of your ADSL access depends on the quality of your
telephone line, and the quality of your ISP services; more on this
later.

ADSL allows you to:
- be permanently connected to the Internet
- simultaneously use your telephone line and access the Internet
- navigate at higher speeds than dialup connections
- avoid connection fees.
The only recurring fee will be your monthly subscriptions to the local PTT and your ISP.

ADSL caveat

The maximum ADSL connection speed currently offered in the Ivory Coast
is 128Kbps/64Kbps. This is not by any means guaranteed, and the
performance depends significantly on your ISP's quality of service.
ADSL is based on the concept of shared bandwidth, this means that your
ISP will allocated a certain amount of bandwidth to be shared by all its
ADSL subscribers. Obviously, the quality of service will depend on the
number of ADSL subscribers using their connection at the same time. So
do not be surprised if your 128Kbps connection behaves worst than a
dialup connection at peak times. Choose your ISP wisely! *wink wink*

ADSL Pricing

As mentioned earlier, to obtain ADSL access, you need two sources. The
local PTT and your ISP. Thus, for the time being, there are two montly
subscriptions associated with an ADSL connection.

NOTE : THESE PRICES ARE HT. ADD 18% to have the final TTC costs.

Local PTT Costs (FCFA H.T.)

ADSL Modem 120 000
Activation Fee 45 000
Monthly Subscription Fee 45 000

AFNET ADSL (FCFA H.T.)
Activation Fee 15 000
Monthly Subscription Fee 45 000

For more information contact the AFNET sales team at 21 75 60 00, or email AFNET at sales@afnet.net

N.B. The following is the Web page with the AVISO information :
http://www.aviso.ci/produitsadsl.php

I have been told that AFNET is offering the same monthly rate of 35.000F HT as AVISO TO THEIR FIRST 50 CUSTOMERS. Probably in the second year they will revert to 45.000F HT. But who knows what AROB@SE will offer in terms of competition when they start up?

La poudre aux yeux

TELECOM says they have dropped their rates. True. International calls are much cheaper because of the competition from the internet cafés using IP phoning. A call to the USA is now only about 640F per minute, to the UK is 620F /min. TTC. Local calls have dropped but the duration of a local call also dropped from 2 minutes to 1 minute! Since 1st September you local calls charges may have almost doubled for that reason.

The CIE (Compagnie pour l’Interruption de l’Electricité – competing with the American utilities in that regard) says they have not changed their rates. True also. But you apparently need to use much more to get into the next pricing bracket (which is cheaper). The result: you are paying more.

BREAD prices have not gone up YET. But the weight and subsequently the size has decreased. Strangely the Patisserie Abidjanaise at Cocody seems to be putting out the same size loaves as before, and at the same price, I think, as the price of bread is fixed.

TAXI fares have not risen. The taxi owners/drivers have just in most cases fiddled their meters as the police have become more and more difficult and fuel costs rose. Illegal of course, but a trip now costs 10% or even 20% more than before. Don’t be fooled. The meters that start at 100F rather than the legal 130F are often the ones that end up with the highest total at the end. Look at it as the swings and roundabouts. Sometimes it will be more, sometimes less. No point in arguing. They are much cheaper than in Europe, the North America or Oz anyway.

Pre-election Speeches
Well, they're off like Bush, Dean and the others in the States! Here preparing for the 2005 elections. Their New Year's speeches look like that, Bédié, Ouattara, Gbagbo. Here's waiting for the other contenders. It looks like the elections will indeed take place late next year. Who would have thought it possible? Getting the referenda done before that will be the main hitch, but the UN may help with that. Perhaps more on this later.

Enquiry Concerning Rév. Makosso Camille
I have had an enquiry. Does anyone know of the Fédération Ivoirienne Evangélique or its President Rev. Makosso Camille? They supposedly have 120 pastors and 600 churches. Where are they hidden all those churches?

PATENTE Needed for Minivans and Pickups
The word is that the commercial PATENTE (as well as the regular Vignette) has to be paid for private minivans and pickups as so many of these vehicles are being used for commercial rather than just private use. This requirement applies even to mission vehicles. If the Patente has not been paid, the vehicle may be impounded, with all the inconvenience that that entails. I have been told that a law was passed in the National Assembly and that it not just another police racket to get their “bonne année”. I would be grateful if anyone can give me further details about this.
Contact me at vcbtemp-blog@yahoo.com Thanks.

Ivorian Driver's Licence
You are no longer permitted to drive with a foreign licence in Ivory Coast. Your other licence can be converted and will be returned at the end of the process. Can anyone give me the full procedure and cost?
Contact me at vcbtemp-blog@yahoo.com

Visas for Americans Not Needed
Some Americans are still being hassled as if they need a visa for Côte d’Ivoire, as if they are like us lesser mortals, which is of course not the case. Willard Wagner had a pile of paperwork for bringing back Yvonne’s dog but the people of Air Chance in Paris were not interested in any of that. They wanted their Ivory Coast visas. It took 2 hours and Willard’s best French to convince them that he and Yvonne did not need a visa. Another good reason to fly SN Brussels if possible and avoid the right royal run-around at Charles De Gaulle Airport. Less arrogant and less likely to lose your luggage.

Ex-Rebels Back into Government
As of 6th January, the ex-rebels should be back in the Ivorian reconciliation government. Speculation has it that Seydou Diarra would like the full executive meeting of that week to take place in Bouaké, with the presence of President Gbagbo.

French and UN forces should start deploying over the next few days in the north of the country, e.g. Ferké and Korhogo. Missionaries are already present in the extreme north but are also in Bouaké where there are quite a few expats who seem to have less hassles than others in Abidjan.

This will soon make the economic corridors a reality, though there is already quite a bit of movement south-north. There were talk of them when the French first intervened in numbers, but nothing was really done till the BCEAO bank robberies.

New Blog (= Web log) with Ivory Coast/Côte d'Ivoire News
Hopefully things are improving significantly in this country and less news despatches will have to be posted to my lists. Some people have regretted the lack of news updates in English.

Here news summaries and comments will be posted to please and annoy one and all. I will do no more or less pontificating than usual, and will hopefully annoy no more people than before with my assessments -- and irrelevant side comments.

I will also post extra information like that just sent out to my lists on ADSL and Telecel Messages, and there will hopefully be a permanent record here in the Archives (see side-bar) for those who search back.

The times of posting will sometimes unfortunately be as for the USA - but you can't have everything! :-) The site http://www.time.gov will allow you to get the correct atomic time for where you are -- and adjust your computer clock. UTC is what you need to choose if you are on GMT - or are piloting a submarine.

Some items will be in French, others in English with English spelling. ;-)

Happy New Year to one and all, with all its surprises, challenges and blessings.

My address for comments on the Blog, or for contributions:
vcbtemp-blog@yahoo.com