Ivorian ministers broadcast reassurances

Ivory Coast's interior and defence ministers went on the radio on 8 January to announce the failure of the overnight coup attempt and to urge Ivorians to resume normal life.

Ivorian Interior Minister Emile Boga Doudou spoke on Ivorian radio at 0925 GMT. Excerpts:

The second republic has barely started but already some dangerous people wanted to put an end to it.

The truth always ends up coming out, and the truth today is that the coup did not occur

Interior Minister Emile Doudou

The republican forces were up to par in saving the second republic, and on behalf of the head of state, I wish to congratulate them.

So, what is it all about? At 2335 GMT we noted that some rebel groups were trying to take the radio, TV stations and the head of state's residence, but they were also trying to neutralize the gendarmerie and our army by trying to occupy the entrance to these places.

As Ivorians will note, they have indeed been ousted from the radio station. Therefore Ivory Coast is under government rule.

The truth always ends up coming out, and the truth today is that the coup did not occur. There was an attempted coup, and this attempted coup failed. At this present time we have information because our forces arrested people.

Ivorian Defence Minister Moise Lida Kouassi said the government security action against the rebels had been well executed. Excerpts:

The rebel groups that staged the coup last night against the second republic have indeed been defeated. They had with them a statement to the nation prepared beforehand that was seized.

This statement was announcing the dissolution of the government, the suspension of political parties and the establishment of a committee once again. This document exists...

The army, the police force and the gendarmerie - all of our forces - have coordinated their actions beautifully

Defence Minister Moise Lida Kouassi

The police and other forces intervened vigorously to free the TV and radio stations. Unfortunately this claimed a few lives among them. At the present time two people have died...

We simply wish to tell people that the army, the police force and the gendarmerie - all of our forces - have coordinated their actions beautifully on the ground.

If they did not immediately control the situation during the night, it is because they were waiting for the favourable time to start attacking, and by the early morning, everything was under control.

We could now call on the people to resume their activities normally, but we still need to clean up the whole city and to take every place back...

This coup that was attempted may be regarded as an aborted coup, and those who were taken prisoner are already confessing. There are very clear clues, but for the time being, we do not wish to point fingers at anyone. We are waiting for things to be done in line with procedures.

Several hours earlier, at 0255 GMT, Ivory Coast Radio broadcast a live statement by an unidentified military spokesman saying the radio and TV were in the hands of soldiers:

Dear countrymen, dear Ivorians. The country has just undergone another change again. Radio and the TV are in the hands of the military.

In the coming hours, a spokesman will come to give detailed accounts of what has happened. Security is assured.

The Interior Minister should not show his face at all.

The radio and TV are in the hands of the soldiers.

I am asking all my brothers-in-arms to join forces because it is a national struggle. Thank you.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.