The student died from the injuries he sustained Tuesday after being hit on the head by a teargas canister the day before in the Yopougon commune, the scene of a heavy battle between security forces and scores of demonstrators, mostly women.

The second victim, aged 24 years, was shot three times in the head in the Port- Bouet commune on the international road towards the Ghanaian border by an armed individual who, according to the Interior Ministry "did not belong to the security system" set up by the police authorities.

The ministry said investigations had been launched into the circumstances surrounding the killings, adding that two other persons - a man and a woman - were injured during the demonstrations.

On Wednesday, Interior Minister Désiré Tagro visited the residences of the two victims on behalf of the government to sympathise with the bereaved families.

In a a joint press release issued on the same day, three human rights associations, including the Ivorian Human Rights League (LIDHO), condemned the propensity of public authorities to use force and brutality ’’over vital legitimate demands". Panapress.