Charges for Guei aides

The former Ivory Coast military ruler, Robert Guei, has accused the authorities there of trumping up charges against his military assistant, Captain Fabien Coulibaly, and six others who have been charged with plotting an assassination.

Mr Coulibaly's lawyer Jean-Claude Vai said the magistrates did not specify whom the seven men were allegedly plotting to kill.

The seven, who were arrested on Tuesday have now been charged.

Captain Coulibaly had been in Abidjan ostensibly to prepare for Robert Guei's attendance at the country's reconciliation talks.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service