Lebanese in Ivory Coast under Threat as Lebanon’s Ambassador Assures Plane Tickets and Aid Being Provided
The Lebanese Ambassador to the Ivory Coast Ali Ajami stressed on Tuesday that the situation in the African country is “getting more complicated as the political and security situations are unstable.”
He added to Voice of Lebanon radio on Tuesday that the Lebanese expatriates are being robbed, saying that several of them have already left the country.
He revealed that some 5,000 expatriates had left the country during March.
They managed to flee the Ivory Coast through the assistance of a businessman in the African country who provided them with plane tickets, Ajami stated.
On Monday, the Lebanese Embassy in Abidjan revealed that it had received a threat by an individual claiming to be speaking on behalf of the "invisible commandos" warning foreign expatriates, especially the Lebanese one, against meddling in the Ivory Coast's political affairs.
The embassy said in a statement that the letter was received by email, adding that the commandos announced that they were behind the kidnapping and murder of Lebanese citizen Ali Khalil Fawwaz.
They held the Lebanese ambassador to the Ivory Coast responsibility for the development.
The statement added that it had informed the Lebanese and Ivory Coast Foreign Ministries of the threat, urging the need to start an investigation in the affair.
Lebanese expatriates have been advised to exercise caution even if the letter's authenticity is in question, the embassy stressed.
The "invisible commandos" are loyal to Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara and opposed to incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo.
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