Battle for Abidjan Rages on in Ivory Coast

 

Julia Ritchey | Dakar April 03, 2011

Fighting between forces loyal to Ivory Coast's rival presidents continued for a fourth day in Abidjan, as French troops took control of the city's airport.

Embattled incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo clung to power yet another day Sunday, while sporadic gunfire was heard on the mostly deserted streets of Abidjan.

France said it has sent in additional troops and secured the airport with U.N. peacekeeping forces, as it continues to shelter more than a thousand foreign nationals at a camp outside the city.

Abidjan has been in lockdown since forces loyal to Gbagbo's rival, Alassane Ouattara, infiltrated the city Thursday and began a final effort to remove Gbagbo from office.

Gbagbo has rejected all demands to step down since Ouattara was declared the winner of Ivory Coast's November presidential election.

The incumbent leader is still drawing support from a band of loyal forces, including the Young Patriots, a youth arm known for its use of violence and fiery rhetoric.

"At the cost of our blood, we are going to die so that the republic survives, for our children," said an armed member of the group, who identified himself as General La Poudriere.

But the deputy chief of staff of Ouattara's Republican Forces said he was not shaken by such talk.

"It's not the young patriots who worry us," he said. "They're not an army. They are all words."

For now, the Young Patriots are protecting the presidential palace and state television, which broadcast footage of Gbagbo as well as pleas for additional forces to back him.

Human rights groups are urging both sides to avoid civilian casualties. Their warnings came after a grisly report from the Red Cross and Catholic charity Caritas, saying between 800 and 1,000 people were massacred in western Ivory Coast last week. The bodies were found in an town that rebel forces had captured, though it was not clear who was culpable.

In an interview last week, a spokesman for the U.N. Human Rights Office, Rupert Colville, said it appears some of Ouattara's forces may have been involved in abuses.

“Again it's not particularly surprising," said Colville. "You've got armed forces moving through the country with battles going on in various places, but some of the people on his side appear to be stepping way beyond the bounds of what's acceptable.”

Colville warned that both sides will be held accountable for any violations of international humanitarian law.

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Ivory Coast: French forces take over Abidjan airport

Right: Incumbent Laurent Gbagbo’s “young patriots” cross the river in boats and head towards Abidjan’s city centre

France has sent extra troops to Ivory Coast’s main city, Abidjan, and taken control of its airport.

A French military spokesman told the BBC there was a security vacuum as forces formerly loyal to incumbent Laurent Gbagbo changed sides.

Fighting continues between Mr Gbagbo’s troops and supporters of his rival, UN-recognised President Alassane Ouattara.

The city’s pro-Gbagbo TV station called for people to mobilise against the French ‘”occupation”.

Mr Ouattara’s forces are reported to be planning a further advance towards the presidential palace and have imposed a curfew on the city.

UN spokesman Hamadoun Toure told the BBC he had heard gunfire near the palace, adding that the situation was very tense.

[more at bbc.co.uk...]

View the original article here

Ivory Coast: French forces take over Abidjan airport

Right: Incumbent Laurent Gbagbo’s “young patriots” cross the river in boats and head towards Abidjan’s city centre

France has sent extra troops to Ivory Coast’s main city, Abidjan, and taken control of its airport.

A French military spokesman told the BBC there was a security vacuum as forces formerly loyal to incumbent Laurent Gbagbo changed sides.

Fighting continues between Mr Gbagbo’s troops and supporters of his rival, UN-recognised President Alassane Ouattara.

The city’s pro-Gbagbo TV station called for people to mobilise against the French ‘”occupation”.

Mr Ouattara’s forces are reported to be planning a further advance towards the presidential palace and have imposed a curfew on the city.

UN spokesman Hamadoun Toure told the BBC he had heard gunfire near the palace, adding that the situation was very tense.

[more at bbc.co.uk...]

View the original article here

Prepare for a Human Rights Catastrophe in Ivory Coast

It would seem that despite the protestations of probably the most knowledgeable person about Africa in the U.S. Senate, Laurent Gbagbo’s days are numbered.

After a series of victories in key strategic towns across the Ivory Coast, forces loyal to internationally recognized presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara are poised to advance on Abidjan. And all the while, the circle is tightening around Gbagbo. Last night, the Security Council slapped sanctions on Gbagbo, his wife, and a top lieutenants. Today, his top military commanders defected to the South African embassy with his family today.

The question is: will he go quietly or put up a fight? There are about 9,000 UN peacekeepers in Abidjan with a mandate to protect civilians. But their movement has been restricted by armed groups loyal to Gbagbo. There is also a healthy contingent of French troops, who are well armed and well co-ordinated and have a mandate to support UNOCI. These troops could be the decisive in preventing a large scale human rights violations from being visited upon civilians in Abidjan.

That is very much within the realm of possibility. Amnesty International warns of a potential human rights catastrophe in Abidjan.   Human Rights Watch has already documented a case in which forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo massacred 37 villagers, presumed to be Liberians, in a western town in Ivory Coast:

At least four cars carrying pro-Gbagbo militiamen attacked the village, witnesses said. They were armed with automatic weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and machetes.

The witnesses said the militiamen killed the immigrants inside their homes and as they attempted to flee. They pillaged and burned houses, looting any items of value, including motorcycles, money, televisions, mattresses and clothing.

A 28-year-old Malian man told Human Rights Watch: “At around 3pm we heard the sound of heavy trucks coming and ran into our houses. The men fired into the air, then started breaking down the doors‚ saying: ‘Fire, fire’ and ‘You’re rebels, we’ll kill all of you’.

This could get really ugly.  Really soon.

View the original article here

Prepare for a Human Rights Catastrophe in Ivory Coast

It would seem that despite the protestations of probably the most knowledgeable person about Africa in the U.S. Senate, Laurent Gbagbo’s days are numbered.

After a series of victories in key strategic towns across the Ivory Coast, forces loyal to internationally recognized presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara are poised to advance on Abidjan. And all the while, the circle is tightening around Gbagbo. Last night, the Security Council slapped sanctions on Gbagbo, his wife, and a top lieutenants. Today, his top military commanders defected to the South African embassy with his family today.

The question is: will he go quietly or put up a fight? There are about 9,000 UN peacekeepers in Abidjan with a mandate to protect civilians. But their movement has been restricted by armed groups loyal to Gbagbo. There is also a healthy contingent of French troops, who are well armed and well co-ordinated and have a mandate to support UNOCI. These troops could be the decisive in preventing a large scale human rights violations from being visited upon civilians in Abidjan.

That is very much within the realm of possibility. Amnesty International warns of a potential human rights catastrophe in Abidjan.   Human Rights Watch has already documented a case in which forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo massacred 37 villagers, presumed to be Liberians, in a western town in Ivory Coast:

At least four cars carrying pro-Gbagbo militiamen attacked the village, witnesses said. They were armed with automatic weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and machetes.

The witnesses said the militiamen killed the immigrants inside their homes and as they attempted to flee. They pillaged and burned houses, looting any items of value, including motorcycles, money, televisions, mattresses and clothing.

A 28-year-old Malian man told Human Rights Watch: “At around 3pm we heard the sound of heavy trucks coming and ran into our houses. The men fired into the air, then started breaking down the doors‚ saying: ‘Fire, fire’ and ‘You’re rebels, we’ll kill all of you’.

This could get really ugly.  Really soon.

View the original article here

Prepare for a Human Rights Catastrophe in Ivory Coast

It would seem that despite the protestations of probably the most knowledgeable person about Africa in the U.S. Senate, Laurent Gbagbo’s days are numbered.

After a series of victories in key strategic towns across the Ivory Coast, forces loyal to internationally recognized presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara are poised to advance on Abidjan. And all the while, the circle is tightening around Gbagbo. Last night, the Security Council slapped sanctions on Gbagbo, his wife, and a top lieutenants. Today, his top military commanders defected to the South African embassy with his family today.

The question is: will he go quietly or put up a fight? There are about 9,000 UN peacekeepers in Abidjan with a mandate to protect civilians. But their movement has been restricted by armed groups loyal to Gbagbo. There is also a healthy contingent of French troops, who are well armed and well co-ordinated and have a mandate to support UNOCI. These troops could be the decisive in preventing a large scale human rights violations from being visited upon civilians in Abidjan.

That is very much within the realm of possibility. Amnesty International warns of a potential human rights catastrophe in Abidjan.   Human Rights Watch has already documented a case in which forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo massacred 37 villagers, presumed to be Liberians, in a western town in Ivory Coast:

At least four cars carrying pro-Gbagbo militiamen attacked the village, witnesses said. They were armed with automatic weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and machetes.

The witnesses said the militiamen killed the immigrants inside their homes and as they attempted to flee. They pillaged and burned houses, looting any items of value, including motorcycles, money, televisions, mattresses and clothing.

A 28-year-old Malian man told Human Rights Watch: “At around 3pm we heard the sound of heavy trucks coming and ran into our houses. The men fired into the air, then started breaking down the doors‚ saying: ‘Fire, fire’ and ‘You’re rebels, we’ll kill all of you’.

This could get really ugly.  Really soon.

View the original article here