Ivory Coast demo gets deadly
2004-03-25 12:52
Abidjan - Several people were shot dead Thursday in different neighbourhoods of the Ivory Coast economic hub Abidjan, witnesses reported, as the army cordoned off the city to prevent an anti-government protest from going ahead.
Military sources said two people were shot dead in the southern Koumassi neighbourhood and another in Anyama, in the east of Abidjan.
A press photographer said he saw one person shot dead in the western Yopougon neighbourhood, where unconfirmed reports from residents said that three other people had also been killed.
It was unclear under what circumstances the people had been killed as the army blocked off entire neighbourhoods on Thursday and prevented residents from leaving their homes, to thwart a protest against President Laurent Gbagbo called by the opposition.
An organiser of the banned opposition protest told AFP six people were killed in another western neighbourhood, Abobo, where residents had reported outbreaks of fighting.