The siege of the state broadcaster RadioTélévision Ivoirienne (RTI) by several hundred Young Patriots was lifted Thursday night and normal programming resumed today, Reporters Without Borders has learned. Most employees were able to return to their posts and talks are under way to "identify the lessons to be drawn" from the events of the past few days, a source close to the management said.
Some 300 supporters of President Laurent Gbagbo known as Young Patriots overran the RTI building on 18 January and forced technicians to broadcast calls for people "to take to the streets to liberate the country." They then stationed themselves outside the RTI building, located in Cocody district of Abidjan. Yesterday evening, they were still pledging to stay there until the UN peacekeepers and the French Licorne peacekeeping force left the country.
After Young Patriot leader Charles Blé Goudé gave his followers the order to end the demonstrations, the barricades and roadblocks throughout the greater Abidjan area have been gradually lifted and the groups have dispersed. Throughout the past few days, Côte d’Ivoire’s journalists have had to work under a constant threat of violence. Some went into hiding. Others were beaten or threatened by demonstrators.
