Witnesses: Soldiers open fire in Ivory Coast town

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Soldiers opened fire and blocked roads in the southeast Ivory Coast town of Adiake on Tuesday, witnesses said, in a possible renewal of unrest that began a month ago.

The gunfire lasted for several hours and came from a camp housing special forces, said a teacher who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear for his safety. Adiake is located nearly 100 kilometers (62 miles) east of Abidjan, Ivory Coast's commercial hub.

"The soldiers erected barricades blocking traffic near their camp. The population has left the streets and we let the students out because we were afraid," the teacher said.

On Jan. 6, soldiers in the city of Bouake mutinied over unpaid bonuses and other grievances. The soldiers were mostly former rebels who controlled northern Ivory Coast from 2002 to 2011 and fought to bring President Alassane Ouattara to power during a postelection conflict in 2011 that claimed more than 3,000 lives.

Last month's uprising quickly spread to other cities, including Abidjan. After talks in Bouake, the mutineers said the government agreed to pay bonuses of nearly $20,000 to more than 8,000 soldiers, though the government has not confirmed that figure.

Since the deal was announced, other soldiers and elements of the security forces have sought payoffs of their own.

It was not immediately clear what those behind Tuesday's shooting might be demanding.

A hospital worker in Adiake, Monique Yao, said the gunfire appeared to have stopped around 1 p.m. Tuesday.

"Everyone is afraid. We don't know what's happening," she said.