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The barricades again

Striking policemen upset the cash-strapped government and fuel other pay demands

Smiling images of political foes at reconciliation talks seemed to have replaced the murder and mayhem of the past two years until a strike by police brought the roadblocks and night-time gunshots back to Abidjan's streets. Over four late January days, junior police officers stopped work, barricaded the roads outside their stations, and fired into the air after dark. This revived talk of another coup d'état, and threatened law and order in a city where gunmen regularly hijack cars.

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The barricades again

Striking policemen upset the cash-strapped government and fuel other pay demands

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