Washington is “proud of its work” with Cote d’Ivoire and other West African countries in the war against drug trafficking, the U.S. diplomatic representation in Abidjan said on Wednesday.
“The United States takes drug trafficking very seriously and is taking action against all known traffickers. We are proud of our work with Cote d’Ivoire and other West African countries to fight this scourge,” the U.S. Embassy in Cote d’Ivoire tweeted.
This statement comes just days after an international media released a report on a so-called international investigation by journalists Ibekwe Nicholas and Daan Bauwens accusing Ivorian Defence minister Hamed Bakayoko of sponsoring drug trafficking in Cote d’Ivoire.
In a statement on Monday, Bakayoko, who is also the interim prime minister of Cote d’Ivoire, decided to file a complaint against the two journalists.
He denounced their report as “a crude orchestration fabricated by sponsors whose purpose escapes no one’s notice.”
In his rebuttal Bakayoko wrote: “As Cote d’Ivoire’s Security Minister for more than seven years and the current Defence Minister, the results achieved in the fight against drugs are recognised worldwide.”
He claimed that these actions, which have resulted in numerous arrests, seizures and dismantling of mafia syndicates, have earned Cote d’Ivoire international praise.
LB/ls/lb/as/APA