The article below was published in the daily newspaper Var-Matin - République, France, on October 5, 1954.
Abidjan, October 4. -- Flying saucers have been sighted in Côte d'Ivoire. The news was made public through an official report sent to the Governor of Côte d'Ivoire by Mr. Vernhet, Chief Administrator of the Danané subdivision, a town located 500 km northwest of Abidjan. The events date back to September 19, but were only officially acknowledged today following specific inquiries and an investigation.
In addition to the local population, the head of the gendarmerie post, the doctor in charge of the medical center, Reverend Father Vyard of the Lyon missions, Mr. Vernhet, the subdivision chief, and his wife, all gathered in the courtyard of the residence, observed from 8:30 p.m. to 9:05 p.m. on September 19, a craft matching exactly those seen in France, though it did not land.
It was a luminous point surrounded by a halo that initially grew rapidly, moving closer to or farther from the horizon. The witnesses saw the craft turn on a powerful spotlight, at times aimed upward, at other times downward. The object, ovoid in shape, was topped with a dome, and light rays appeared to extend from either side.
When it disappeared after maneuvering for half an hour, the witnesses clearly saw two oval-shaped luminous halos form at the presumed location of the craft. It moved silently. Administrator Vernhet attached to his report a detailed sketch of the various phases observed, as well as the shape of the object.
That same day in Soubre, 250 km northwest of Abidjan and in the same direction, similar phenomena were observed. The head of the Soubre subdivision confirmed the existence of the phenomenon, which he also witnessed.
