French families attacked

2004-11-07 18:20

Abidjan, Ivory Coast - Machete-waving mobs looted and burned French targets in Ivory Coast's largest cities on Sunday, laying siege of a French military base and searching houses for French families.

France's military responded in force, sending helicopters to rescue trapped expatriates from buildings as other French helicopters and armoured vehicles moved out to confront the mobs.

Numerous French families contacted French authorities in Ivory Coast, saying their homes were being attacked and looted, French military spokesperson Henry Aussavy said.

Meanwhile Ivory Coast presidential spokesperson Desire Tagro said the country will ask the UN Security Council for action against France.

"We are faced with aggression by one country against another country. We are going to inform the entire world ... that France has come to attack us."

France was also set on Sunday to send fresh troops to Ivory Coast after a clash with thousands of demonstrators seeking to "retake" Abidjan airport, leaving at least three dead.

The clash came after nine French troops and an American civilian were killed in an air raid Saturday by Ivory Coast warplanes in the central Ivorian city of Bouake, according to French officials.

Overnight on Saturday, tens of thousands of young supporters of President Laurent Gbagbo marched on Abidjan airport, controlled by French forces since Saturday afternoon, and French helicopters fired warning shots to head them off.

- AP