Ivory Coast slides into chaos

2004-11-06 22:15

New York - The UN security council was to hold an emergency meeting on Saturday to discuss the violence in the Ivory Coast, where clashes left at least nine people dead - eight French soldiers and a US citizen.

Latest news from the Ivory Coast is that fighting broke out on Saturday between French peacekeeping troops and Ivorian government soldiers at Abidjan's international airport.

There was no immediate word on casualties. The clashes, whch began at 16:00 (16:00 GMT) ended an hour later and talks began, said Henry Assavy, a spokesperson for the French Unicorn force.

The Ivorian armed forces "fired on us and we returned fire," Assavy said, adding that he did not know why his men has been fired on.

A company of French troops is stationed at the airport, which is not far from a French infantry battalion.

The airport, which is also used by local and French military aircraft, was closed on Saturday by the Ivorian armed forces and staff evacuated, airport workers told AFP.

"The military sealed the perimeter and told us to go home," one employee said.

"Nobody can go in or out," he said, making it impossible for civil ircraft to land or take off.

Bouake

Earlier eight French soldiers deployed in the central rebel stronghold of Bouake were killed and 23 wounded when they were attacked by Ivory Coast aircraft.

The incident was the most serious involving French forces since Ivory Coast's former colonial power deployed 4 000 troops alongside UN peacekeepers in the wake of the September 2002 unrest.

"A position held by the French Unicorn Force in Bouake was bombed on Saturday at 14:00 (French time, 13:00 GMT) by two Sukhoi 25 bombers from the government forces," the ministry said in a statement to AFP.

"In response to this attack, the Unicorn Force destroyed the two Sukhoi 25s at about 14:15 at Yamoussoukro," the capital of Ivory Coast, the ministry said.

Colonel Philipe Mangou of the Ivorian military command confirmed that the fighter bombers had been destroyed, saying they were on the ground at the time.

Ivory Coast has been split in two since September 2002 when a northern insurgency broke out in the wake of a failed coup.

UN forces patrol a buffer zone separating the rebel-held north and centre from the government-held south.

- AFP