French troops to go home
2005-01-19 14:18
Abidjan- About 1 000 French troops sent to reinforce France's contingent in Ivory Coast after fighting erupted in November will be sent home by the end of January, the force's commander said on Tuesday.
French General Henri Poncet said the initial force of 4 000 would remain in the war-divided West African nation, where they are helping bolster security along with 6 000 United Nations peacekeepers.
"For me, it's a sign of trust, hope and the restarting" of Ivory Coast's peace process, Poncet told reporters, referring to the troops' impending departure.
France wiped out the government's small air force after Ivory Coast warplanes bombed a French peacekeeping post in the rebel-held north in early November without warning or explanation. The airstrike killed nine French peacekeepers and an American aid worker.
French troops took control of airports in the largest city, Abidjan, and the capital, Yamoussoukro, helping evacuate thousands, including 9 000 French citizens.
The aggressive French response unleashed loyalist uprisings across the government-held south, sending crowds supportive of nationalistic President Laurent Gbagbo on looting and burning sprees in the streets that targeted foreigners and members of other Ivory Coast ethnic groups.
The violence tapered off after several days, and the country has been calm but tense ever since.
Ivory Coast, the world's top cocoa producer, was considered volatile West Africa's most stable and prosperous nation until a military coup in 1999. Rebels took control of the northern half of the country after a failed September 2002 coup attempt.
- AP