A total of 47 bodies and human remains, victims of violence, must be returned to their families on Wednesday, March 8. These bodies were exhumed, some in 2015, and then transferred to Abidjan for investigations into the various clashes that occurred during the post-election crisis.
Since then, these bodies were kept at the Ivory sepulture (Ivosep) in Treichville. They had to be transported by road. Although the autopsy reports have not been communicated to the families of these victims, this restitution is perceived as a gesture allowing “the inhabitants to mourn”, estimates Amadou Coulibaly, the minister spokesperson for the government.
During his visit to Duékoué on November 15, 2022, Prime Minister, Patrick Achi, had also announced that the families would receive compensation from the State. To date, 4,410 beneficiaries of deceased persons have already received 1 million CFA francs (about 1,500 euros) from the government, during previous programs. “These statements have made it possible to reopen discussions on this taboo subject,” notes an observer.
For the government, these restitutions fall within the scope of reconciliation. They are also a way of turning this dark page in the country’s history.