A quarter of Cote d'Ivoire's population is alien

Abidjan- Cote d'Ivoire (PANA) -- Cote d'Ivoire's population of 15 million is 26 percent alien, i.
e.
one in four is a foreigner, mainly from countries of the west African sub-region including Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and Niger, the local press noted Friday.
With a population of 536,073 inhabitants, Bouake (290 km north of Abidjan), has the heaviest concentration of foreigners (356,489 or 66.
5 percent) composed mainly of Burkinabes and Malians.
Foreigners were further said to occupy almost the entire trade sector.
Nationals of countries of the sub-region have recently accused Ivorians of displaying xenophobic tendencies - complaints dismissed by Abidjan authorities.
Since Laurent Gbagbo's election to the presidency last October, several delegations have been sent to African and European countries to explain the situation.