Ivory Coast trial twist

Arms allegedly seized from one of the general's houses

By West Africa correspondent Mark Doyle in Abidjan

A controversial treason trial in Ivory Coast has seen a new twist with one of the military judges refusing to hear the case.

The trial of two top military officers accused of involvement in an attack last year against the home of a former head of state has great political significance in Ivory Coast.

The two jailed officers are alleged to be close to ethnic northern politicians opposed to the current civilian government of President Laurent Gbagbo who hails from the south.

Generals Lansana Palenfo and Abdoulaye Coulibaly were the numbers two and three in the military regime ousted last year.

The trial has dominated political discussion in Ivory Coast for several months.

'Illegal and political'

Lawyers for the accused say the trial before a military tribunal is legally void and politically motivated.

They say that because the two generals were government ministers they can only be tried before a special civilian court.

The decision of one of the military tribunal judges, General Oumar Ndaw , to withdraw from the case could have political consequences, partly because General Ndaw himself hails from the north.

Defence lawyers say the tribunal judge had withdrawn because of conscientious objections.

The government of President Laurent Gbabo has not commented on these latest developments but politicians and media, loyal to Mr Gbabo have led a stream of criticisms of the northern politicians the two jailed generals are alleged to be close to.

They accused the northern politicians of fomenting ethnic tensions.

The military tribunal has been postponed to next week.