The Eye Unit of EyeWitnessNews has found out that the widely published reports of an attempted coup in the Mano River Union country of Cote d’Ivoire was false. According to the report, which was published on major media outlets around the world, heavy gunfire was heard in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast. The report further stated that 33 people had been killed while the internet was shut down.
The report also claimed that the whereabouts of President Alassane Ouattara were unknown, while others reported that he had been arrested. The report mentioned that internet access had been shut down, and some media even published videos of an uprising.
Our Eye Unit investigation found that all the reports were false. The investigation revealed that the rumour originated from an X (formerly Twitter) user. The X account, known as Mehmet Vefa Dag, claimed that President Ouattara was either missing, arrested, or possibly deceased. Most of the reports online used sources of available information on social media. None of the reports spoke to eyewitnesses on the ground. The investigation found that the reports were deliberately ‘cooked up’ and shared, leading established media houses to fall for the trap and publish without further verification.
EyeWitnessNews spoke to a Sierra Leonean resident from Abidjan on Thursday morning. The resident, who has been living in Ivory Coast for the last 20 years, said the reports circulated in the media were all fake. He confirmed that Abidjan and elsewhere in Ivory Coast were peaceful as people went about their normal businesses. In a live video shared with EyeWitnessNews, the eyewitness was driving across Abidjan, providing live commentary while showing the busy streets and traffic.
Our eyewitness said that there was an incident on Monday that involved the leader of the Drivers Union in Ivory Coast, known as MATCA, who passed away. Someone appointed by the government to serve as an interim leader was protested by union members, leading to attacks on vehicles. They expressed their opposition to the appointed individual. The eyewitness confirmed that shots were indeed fired on Monday to disperse the crowd. Our eyewitness stated that there was no internet shutdown or coup, and the issue has since been resolved.
President Ouattara has been in power since 2011, and for most of his tenure, the country has witnessed stability. The President is currently serving a third term, and it is unclear whether he will run in the upcoming elections.
