Private Sector in Ivory Coast Blames Government, Army for Lo

By Nico Colombant

Leaders of the private sector¹ in Ivory Coast have blamed the government for the widespread looting against their businesses earlier this month. They accused the government of encouraging the lawlessness, while alleging² security forces took part.

Several-hundred private-sector company executives gathered in Abidjan, accusing the government of allowing the looting to take place during the anti-French protests.

The head of the Ivory Coast Chamber³ of Commerce and Industry, dual⁴ Ivorian-French citizen Jean-Louis Billon, said security forces actually participated in the four days of rampage, November 6-9.

He said businesses became victims of those from which they sought protection. Mr. Billon recovered his stolen car at a police station near his home. He also said calls by the Ivory Coast government for business to resume as normal are insufficient⁵, until firm guarantees are made for adequate security.
 
Several business leaders testified, such as Ali Omao, whose looted jewelry⁶ store he says was mistaken for a French company because of its French sounding name. He alleges⁷ security forces helped shoot down the gates to the store and that some of them left military hats behind after taking away precious stones.

Other executives accused state television of encouraging the looting by delivering repeated hate messages against the former colonial power, France. They also said it appeared the looting was a calculated operation, rather than spontaneous.

Total damage is not yet known. Several-hundred stores, business offices, and warehouses⁸, most of them French-owned, were totally destroyed in Abidjan and several other southern cities under government control. This was the sound of Orange Cellular⁹ Phone headquarters been smashed.

The looting followed France's decision to destroy Ivorian military aircraft, after Ivorian planes killed nine French soldiers in an attack that violated a cease-fire in the rebel-held north.

Two government ministers listened to the complaints from the business community, but denied the government had anything to do with the looting.

Reconciliation¹⁰ Minister Dano Dje Dje expressed dismay at the events, and said the government will do everything in its power to restore confidence.

The French head of an association for small and medium sized businesses, advertising¹¹ executive Pierre Daniel Brechat, said the meeting could help reverse the situation. "For the first time, businessmen have talked with sincerity¹², directly and we have told the truth to the authorities of Cote d'Ivoire and hope that the government will give us also confidence to work and to do our job in Ivory Coast," he said.

Mr. Brechat said that out of 500 businesses in his association more than 100 were looted, most of them French-owned. He says 30,000 Ivorian former employees are now out of work.

Since the looting took place, about 9,000 French nationals have been evacuated¹³. An estimated 5,000 French nationals remain, but many, who are business owners, are now evaluating whether they should also leave.

The looting occurred as the government and rebels have failed to implement¹⁴ a U.N.-backed peace deal to reunite Ivory Coast, formerly¹⁵ West Africa's economic engine -- much of it driven by French-owned businesses.

Nico Colombant, VOA news, Abidjan.

注释：
accuse 谴责
lawlessness 违法
private-sector company 私营公司
looting 抢劫，掠夺
dual 双重的
rampage 狂暴行为
insufficient 不足的
colonial 殖民地的
spontaneous 自发的
warehouse 仓库
medium 中等的

1 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

2 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

3 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

4 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

5 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。

6 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

7 alleges   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The newspaper article alleges that the mayor is corrupt. 报纸上断言该市长腐败。
• Steven was tardy this morning and alleges that his bus was late. 史提芬今天早上迟到的说词是公车误点了。

8 warehouses   

仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The whisky was taken to bonded warehouses at Port Dundee. 威士忌酒已送到邓迪港的保稅仓库。
• Row upon row of newly built warehouses line the waterfront. 江岸新建的仓库鳞次栉比。

9 cellular   

adj.移动的；细胞的，由细胞组成的

参考例句：

• She has a cellular telephone in her car.她的汽车里有一部无线通讯电话机。
• Many people use cellular materials as sensitive elements in hygrometers.很多人用蜂窝状的材料作为测量温度的传感元件。

10 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

11 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

12 sincerity   

n.真诚，诚意；真实

参考例句：

• His sincerity added much more authority to the story.他的真诚更增加了故事的说服力。
• He tried hard to satisfy me of his sincerity.他竭力让我了解他的诚意。

13 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

14 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

15 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。