ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, Jan. 29 (UPI) — Ivory Coast police will deploy about 1,500 soldiers and police officers to patrol areas and investigate the kidnapping, apparent mutilation and deaths of more than 20 children.
One child was found headless and with other body parts missing. Police said they are getting the U.N. involved.
The soldiers and police will focus their efforts on Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s most populated city, and areas such as schools.
“The phenomenon is real and unusual,” police chief Brindou M’Bia said. “Our services have registered 21 cases.”
UNICEF accused Ivory Coast of having a culture of impunity and urged authorities to do everything they can to prevent the abductions.
Ivorian unit to hunt child killers: Police in Ivory Coast set up a… http://t.co/3Vighs7KBq @verified @monsif35 pic.twitter.com/TegysfKczJ— Morjani Monsif (@monsif35) January 29, 2015
Bishops in Ivory Coast said the nation was “sick at a spiritual and moral level.”
“It is not uncommon to see sad and horrible mutilated bodies of albinos massacred, of desecrated graves, skeletons,” the bishops said. “We cannot forget the sad fate of the children kidnapped, chained, imprisoned and kept in a state of extreme malnutrition, waiting to be ritually sacrificed by people in search of wealth, power, and authority.”
There is a fear that these deaths are ritual sacrifices are connected to elections in Ivory Coast later this year. Perpetrators may believe they can gain power and resources from the killings.
There were also similar cases of child abductions and mutilations ahead of elections in 2006 and 2010.
“There is still no proof that any of these crimes are linked,” Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said. “We know very well the type of criminal who commits them in other countries. They do it to get power and money.”
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