Trial Of Suspected Killers Of Former Côte d'Ivoire Leader Opens

After his killing, Robert Guei was first accused of attempting to lead a coup AFP

Thirteen years after Côte d'Ivoire's former leader, General Robert Guei, was murdered, a trial has opened to try his alleged killers. The general was the country's military ruler for a year in 1999. He was shot dead, along with his wife and children in 2002, the first night of the armed rebellion that divided the country in two for a decade.

BBC Africa Live report continues:

At the time the government, led by Laurent Gbagbo who's now in The Hague awaiting a war crimes trial, said he had died leading a coup attempt.

But later the story changed and it was clear he had been assassinated.

When current President Alassane Ouattara came to power in 2011, one of his promises was to investigate his death. 

Twenty four soldiers have been charged with his murder.

Soldiers charged with General Guei's murder in the dock AFP

Former Prime Minister Pascal Affi N’Guessan will be testifying, although at a press conference yesterday he said he would be appearing as a witness not as a defendant.

Today the charges were read out and the case has been postponed until 21 January.