The village of Koréa , in the department of Daloa, descended into violence on Saturday, January 17, 2026. While the community was gathered for the burial of the village chief's son, an attack of unprecedented savagery targeted the widow of the deceased, unjustly accusing her of being responsible for his death.

A funeral ceremony turned into a punitive expedition

It was around 11 a.m. when the moment of reflection gave way to chaos. A group of young people, including the deceased's brothers and their relatives, stormed the village chief's home.

Driven by a senseless thirst for revenge, the attackers rushed the widow, subjecting her to a systematic beating before the eyes of a horrified crowd. Attempts by some witnesses to mediate failed to calm the assailants' fury, triggering widespread panic.

The decisive intervention of the Gendarmerie

The worst was avoided thanks to the rapid arrival of elements of Squadron 1/2 of the mobile gendarmerie from Daloa . Faced with the attackers' determination, the security forces had to intervene firmly to secure the perimeter and disperse the hostile crowd.

The clashes resulted in three serious injuries . Following the operation, six individuals were arrested.

1. K. Mesani (20 years old)
2. YZ Hyppolite (39 years old)
3. TA Innocent (23 years old)
4. K. Cyprien (30 years old)
5. DT Franck Éric (30 years old)
6. SD Claude (32 years old)

All have been handed over to the justice system to answer for their actions.

A persistent social scourge

Thanks to the police presence, the burial was finally able to take place in a fragile calm. However, this tragic event once again raises the issue of the vulnerability of widows and ritual or customary violence in Ivory Coast.