With our special correspondent in Bloléquin, Bineta Diagne
Nesma Bah lost three relatives in the attacks in Bloléquin a March 2011. These attacks were perpetrated by militiamen from Liberia, particularly within the walls of the former prefecture, where many people had taken refuge. Twelve years after the events, only one member of his family has been identified. He confides, on the sidelines of the restitution ceremony of the bodies of the victims :
« We, in fact, had forgotten. Today, we leave this room and we are going to turn the page. We must move forward, look ahead. Everything has already been planned for our brother’s funeral, may he be buried with dignity. »
At his side, in the cramped room of the prefecture where the ceremony was organized, is Roger Ka. This old man lost his mother in March 2011. Reluctantly, in 2015, he finally accepted that her remains, buried in his garden, be exhumed and transferred to Abidjan for the purposes of the investigation. But for eight years, Roger Ka felt pain and frustration rising within him:
« For me, this day means absolutely nothing. 1.5 million CFA francs cannot be enough for me to take care not only of myself, but also of my children. In any case, the means do not interest me! It was my mother’s life that mattered to me. »
In Bloléquin, out of 58 exhumed bodies, only 12 could be identified. Ten were handed over to their relatives. For the remaining forty families, the absence of remains is a source of questioning. ” The process continues “, assures Kouadio Konan Bertin, the Minister of National Reconciliation.
We have come to return these bodies to make the final mourning of the war…
Kouadio Konan Bertin, Minister of National Reconciliation, speaks to Bloléquin
Three human rights organizations believe that the presidential amnesty law of August 2018 “ had the effect of undoing all justice efforts undertaken up to that point “. Result : ” None of the victims of Guiglo, Bloléquin or Toulepleu obtained justice for the crimes suffered during the crisis. »
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