Ivorian police in dock over killings

Pro-democracy protests preceded the killings

By Mark Doyle in Abidjan

The trial of eight paramilitary policemen accused of mass murder has begun in Ivory Coast.

This is a highly political trial because most of the victims in the mass grave appear to have been ethnic northerners

The charges relate to the worst single incident of political violence following last year's controversial presidential elections.

The corpses of 57 men were discovered dumped in a forest after violent clashes between supporters and opponents of the northern-based opposition Republican Party.

A recently published United Nations report said there was clear evidence that the paramilitary police, or gendarmes, were responsible for the killings.

Political trial

The eight gendarmes, dressed in blue combat fatigues, were surrounded by lawyers in black robes in a military courtroom packed with onlookers.

President Gbagbo's victory did not stop the violence

This is a highly political trial because most of the victims in the mass grave appear to have been ethnic northerners.

The mainly northern Republican Party mounted street protests after the controversial elections because their candidate was not allowed to stand.

The clashes that ensued were ethnic as well as political.

Several independent reports published before the tribunal began said gendarmes were responsible for rounding up northerners and were then involved in executions at or near the mass grave in the forest.

Today the court heard that most of the bodies had bullet wounds, and ballistics reports are likely to figure heavily in this trial, which resumes in a week's time.

Controversial elections

Last October's presidential elections were highly controversial.

When the poll results first started coming in, the candidate of the then military regime, General Robert Guei, claimed victory.

Mass pro-democracy protests ensued and Guei was forced to flee in favour of the main civilian candidate, Laurent Gbagbo, who assumed the presidency.

But then the mainly northern opposition Republican Party held street demonstrations calling for fresh elections because their candidate was not allowed to stand.

The violent clashes that followed included the mass killings that are the subject of the military tribunal.