Soldiers in Ivory Coast’s second largest city, Bouake, opened fire on Saturday, trapping the defence minister inside a local official’s house shortly after a deal to end two-day mutiny appeared to have been agreed, a Reuters witness said.

The dramatic turn of events came just an hour and a half after President Alassane Ouattara announced he had agreed to the soldiers’ demands for bonus payments and improved living standards.

In addition to Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi, the deputy commander of the elite Republican Guard, the mayor of Bouake and other local officials as well as journalists were trapped inside the sub-prefect’s residence.

The uprising began early on Friday when the soldiers, mainly former rebel fighters, seized Bouake.

Over the next two days, soldiers at military camps in cities and towns across the country, including the commercial capital Abidjan, joined the mutiny.

Speaking to his government ministers and reporters before the incident at the sub-prefect’s house, Ouattara said he had agreed to some of the soldiers’ grievances but chastised them for sparking the unrest.

“I would like to say that this manner of making demands is not appropriate. It tarnishes the image of our country after all our efforts to revive the economy,” Ouattara said before calling upon the soldiers to return to barracks.

Source: Reuters