Ivory Coast police fire teargas to disperse protesting students

Ivory Coast police fired teargas on Monday to disperse pupils and students protesting at government ministries in the main city, Abidjan, as nationwide strikes intensified, police and a senior union official said. Ivory Coast, French-speaking West Africa’s largest economy and the world’s top cocoa grower, is facing a growing wave of public sector strikes that threaten to paralyze the country and undermine an impressive post-war economic recovery.

.com | I Coast leader seeks bigger majority to keep economy strong

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara is hoping voters will shore up his parliamentary majority Sunday to help keep the world’s top cocoa producer in the fast economic lane. The weeklong election campaign was peaceful, but the authorities have ordered some 30 000 security forces into the street in the wake of scattered incidents in recent months, including attacks on police posts.