Ivory Coast starts small arms destruction

Published November 20, 2014

An official says authorities in Ivory Coast are starting to destroy hundreds of small arms collected since the end of the postelection violence that claimed some 3,000 lives.

Spokeswoman Laetitia Dia Allou of the West African nation's commission against arms proliferation said the destruction of some 600 weapons started Thursday.

She says a total of about 2,000 weapons were collected from former militants and civilians since October 2011.

It is estimated that people across the country still own some 3 million small weapons, and the United Nations have criticized the slow progress in carrying out the disarmament program.

Former President Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept defeat after it was determined Alassane Ouattara won at the polls in November 2010, which led to violence that killed thousands.

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