Abidjan Port Head Axed

Ivory Coast's new government has replaced the head of the country's main port of Abidjan, who was appointed by the former military administration, state media reported. Marcel Gossio reportedly took over on Monday as managing director of the port of Abidjan, replacing Ahmed Kone Mamadou. "Today's change does not indicate that the management team failed," Kone Mamadou was quoted as saying in government newspaper Fraternite Matin. "On the contrary, when a new regime is installed, it is within its rights to put its own people in place to apply its program of government." Kone Mamadou had earlier this month said that traffic through the port was down 10 percent over the first 10 months of the year compared with the same period in 1999, due to political unrest and economic slowdown. Kone Mamadou was appointed under army ruler General Robert Guei, who was ousted by popular street protests after he tried to rig a presidential election. Socialist Laurent Gbagbo won the poll and was proclaimed president.