Defence minister, others freed by mutinying soldiers in Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast's Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi speaks to the press, in Bouake, Ivory Coast January 7, 2017. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

In the wake of mutiny in Ivory Coast which began early on Friday when the soldiers seized Bouake, Ivory Coast's second largest city. In which Ivory Coast's defence minister and dozens of others were held captive.

On Saturday the Rogue soldiers allowed Ivory Coast's defence minister Alain-Richard Donwahi and dozens of others to leave a house where they had been trapped according to Reuters.

It stayed indistinct, in any case, whether the disgruntled soldiers - a large portion of them former rebel fighters now coordinated into the armed force - would respect the agreement reported by President Alassane Ouattara hours prior.

Things got worst as over the last two days, as soldiers at military camps in cities and towns across the country, including the commercial capital Abidjan, joined the mutiny.

Following talks between a government delegation headed by Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi and representatives of the mutineers, Ouattara announced he had agreed to some of the soldiers' grievances but chastised them for sparking the unrest.

"I would like to say that this manner of making demands is not appropriate. It tarnishes the image of our country after all our efforts to revive the economy," he said in a declaration that was broadcast on state-owned television.

- Reuters

Reuters contributed to this reports.