In a message dated 12/27/99 7:04:27 AM Central Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< CoteIvoire-prison
 24 prisoners die during jail break after Cote d'Ivoire coup
 ABIDJAN, Dec 27 (AFP) - Twenty-four inmates died during a chaotic exodus of
 prisoners from Abidjan's main penitentiary when mutineers opened the doors
 to release political detainees during a coup here, jail authorities said
 Monday.
 "The scramble and panic among prisoners, some of whom were suffering from
 health problems, were reasons behind the deaths," one official at the
 sprawling MACA facility told AFP.
 The official also said the prison's main iron doorway collapsed on some of
 the inmates.
        The entire prison population, estimated at 6,500, escaped,
 authorities said.
        Mutineers who overthrew president Henri Konan Bedie and his
 government on
 the morning of December 24 headed shortly afterwards to the jail to release
 political prisoners Bedie had jailed, including senior officials of the
 opposition party Rally of Republicans (RDR), led by former prime minister
 Alassane Ouattara.
 me/sa/jlr/nb

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------------