Prisoners escape through sewers amid Abidjan turmoil
November 12, 2004
Abidjan - More than 4 000 inmates of Ivory Coast's largest prison have escaped through the sewers amid massive political violence.
Officials said yesterday the inmates were believed to be hiding out in a forest in the middle of Abidjan.
"A lot of the prisoners, murderers, robbers and other hard-core offenders among them are believed to have made their way into the city itself," a Justice Ministry official said.
The breakout took place between Saturday and Monday, the official said, as violent street protests targeting the French in this former French colony overran Abidjan, killing at least 17 people and wounding more than 900.
Military police guarding the outside of the prison were diverted to deal with the street violence.
Prisoners wrested off a manhole cover and made their way out. "They left this weekend in small groups," the Justice Ministry official said.
Abidjan was calm yesterday for the first time in six days after France destroyed Ivory Coast's air force last week in retaliation for an airstrike that killed nine French peacekeepers and an American aid worker.
The mayhem outside the prison followed chaos within prison walls.
Prisoners rioted last week after at least five days without water at the prison.
The uprising killed at least seven people, and left several buildings of the prison in the inmates' hands, officials said.
"There is not much left in the prison," the Justice Ministry official said yesterday.
Women inmates at a separate building remained locked up yesterday.
Ivory Coast officials have given different accounts of the breakout, with Security Minister Martin Bleuo on Wednesday putting the number of escapees at more than 2 000.
Bleuo had said the breakout occurred earlier last week, during the prison riot. - Sapa-AP
