BOUAKE, 2 August 2007 (IRIN) - Harassment, extortion and physical assault are rampant at Côte d'Ivoire's ubiquitous roadblocks and unless stopped the scourge will make true peace and stability impossible, Ivorians say.

"The economic damage [of these roadblocks] is bad enough," Ivorian Chamber of Commerce President Jean-Louis Billon told IRIN from the commercial capital, Abidjan. "But the most revolting part of this is the human rights violations. There are invasive body searches, including of women. We heard of cases of rape." He added: "And this, from those the citizens should be able to count on for security."

Roadblocks have long been a fact of life in Côte d'Ivoire, where comedians and musicians have made fun of the gendarme who draws a few extra bribes from citizens as the weekend approaches. But the phenomenon has exploded in the five years of unrest gripping the country since a botched coup in 2002, with both government forces and rebels seeing the transport circuit as a lucrative enterprise.

Billon says he has travelled some 10,000km throughout the country by car in the past few months. After his most recent tour in late July he wrote a letter to several government ministers, including defence, interior, justice and human rights, calling for an end to abuse and extortion by security forces on the roads. "This racket contributes to the destruction of social cohesion and the impoverishment of already destitute populations," the 31 July letter says. "These barriers to the free movement of people and goods… slow down our economy and stifle trade within the country."

Billon and others contacted by IRIN said the problem existed in both the rebel-held north and government-controlled south. Billon said: "On the government side, there is such dysfunction and lawlessness – it's truly revolting."

Ivorian political leaders on 30 July proclaimed at an arms-burning ceremony, "the war is over". But Billon said hauliers, merchants and anyone else who confronts extortion and harassment on the roads has not yet known peace. "We say, 'peace has arrived' – OK, but people's everyday living conditions must change. We will truly have peace in Côte d'Ivoire when we can move about freely." He said the problem hits war-displaced families particularly hard, complicating their already tough task of returning home.

In his speech at the 30 July ceremony in the former-rebel headquarters, Bouake, rebel leader turned Prime Minister Guillaume Soro said: "Peace has arrived. Wherever you are in Côte d'Ivoire from now on you can circulate freely."

"The height of humiliation"

Samuel Koffi, 45, told IRIN his most fervent wish was to be able to do just that. "They can hold whatever ceremony they want. All I care about is being able to travel throughout my own country without facing this unbelievable abuse on the roads."

Koffi, who lives in the northwestern town of Odienne, recently travelled to his home town in central Côte d'Ivoire for his father's funeral. It was his first time making the trip from rebel-held to government territory since before the conflict. "It's the height of humiliation," he said. "The way these officers shake us down for money and abuse people – and it's all done as if it's completely normal. Nothing is hidden."

He spent 7,000 CFA francs (about US$15) just on bribes at roadblocks – at least several days' work driving his taxi in Odienne. "These days, I could even go a week without making that." At one point he was running out of money and he pleaded with a gendarme. "I told him, 'Please – I'm travelling to my home village for my Dad's burial.' The gendarme shrugged and said, 'I don't give a damn.' All he cared about was getting money from me."

Koffi said he heard government forces at roadblocks harassing young women on the southbound bus, saying, "You're up there sleeping around with rebels – now you come down here to bother us."

"Utter mockery" is how Koffi saw the 30 July Bouake peace ceremony. "The political leaders mock our suffering," he said. "They all know full well what's going on." Asked what it would take to put an end to abuses by security forces on the roads, he said, "Political will – period. No miracles needed here."

Ghosts from the past

Many say the hateful and pitiless behaviour on the part of those manning roadblocks mirrors the very kinds of social division and abuse that were integral to the causes of Côte d'Ivoire's rebellion. One factor that gave rise to the rebellion was northerners' exasperation over what they called blatant discrimination and abuse on the part of government security forces. At roadblocks people with names from northern ethnic groups would be singled out and made to pay bribes.

"Now," Koffi said, "Absolutely no matter what papers you have, no matter what your name or ethnicity is, you're going to suffer this humiliation and extortion."

Chamber of Commerce President Billon said he worried this problem would sow trouble at exactly the time Côte d'Ivoire needs stability most. "This problem weakens the social fabric; this must be fixed if we really want peace."

Economic burden

Social cohesion aside, the racket on Côte d'Ivoire's roads continues to batter families economically.

The extra tariffs hauliers must pay on the roads force up the prices of goods. "Five years ago, three yams [a staple in Côte d'Ivoire] cost between 300 and 500 CFA francs ($US0.62 to 1.04). Today, they cost about double that," said Aly Cisse, who sells yams in a Bouake market. The price of most items in the market has gone up by 30 to 50 percent, he said.

A commercial truck driver told IRIN despite talk of peace, people in his profession are increasingly facing a burden on the roads. "We were told that when things started to normalise in the country, we would no longer be victims of this extortion," Dramane Dante told IRIN. "But in reality, things are only getting worse."

Officials with the government and former rebel forces say things are getting better. "This racketeering is certainly a reality," military prosecutor Ange Kessi Kouame told IRIN. "But we're committed to fighting this." He said things are starting to improve, and added: "Especially since it ruins the economy, we must fight this to the end."

Commander Losseni Fofana of the former rebel New Forces said his forces provided passes for vehicles to travel throughout the north. At the road barriers, he said, "there are formalities to take care of". He added: "If this racket still exists, these are isolated acts that we will fight."

"Isolated acts" is not how Billon sees it. "There is too much dysfunction that persists in Côte d'Ivoire. These roadblocks are just one example of the impunity and all that a citizen experiences in a lawless state."

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