News / Africa
France forces invades Cote d'Ivoire
04 Apr 2011 at 08:12hrs | Views
France has sent extra troops to Cote d'Ivoire'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 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".
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.
France has sent an extra 300 soldiers to Cote d'Ivoire, Defence Ministry spokesman, Thierry Burkhard said, taking the total French force to about 1,400.
The airport had been secured by UN troops since Friday, but the French move meant the airport was now able to re-open, Burkhard told the BBC.
The aim of the reinforcement was "to take control over the airport which was also done in co-ordination with the UN mission, to allow the re-opening of this airport to civilian airlines and military flights," he said.
Burkhard added that the force's mission remained primarily the protection of French nationals, who were being threatened by looters.
"We are currently experiencing in Abidjan a security vacuum because the Ivorian security forces, which until now followed the orders of Gbagbo, answered in great numbers the rallying call made by President Ouattara," he said.
There were no immediate plans to start evacuating foreigners, he said, though about 1,600 were sheltering in a French army camp.
They include about 700 French nationals, some 600 Lebanese citizens and 60 Europeans of assorted nationalities, French media report.
Ivorian state TV, which is controlled by Gbagbo, accused the French troops of preparing a genocide like the one in Rwanda in 1994, when more than 800,000 people were killed.
A strap line on state TV on Sunday read: "[French President Nicolas] Sarkozy's men are preparing a Rwandan genocide in Cote d'Ivoire."
Sarkozy has called a cabinet meeting for Sunday afternoon to discuss the crisis in Cote d'Ivoire.
On Saturday, heavy artillery fire was heard in Abidjan as the two sides fought for key sites including the presidential palace, the headquarters of state TV and the Agban military base.
Four UN soldiers were seriously wounded when special forces supporting Gbagbo fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a UN armoured vehicle.
The west of Cote d'Ivoire has also seen vicious battles between rival militias and ethnic groups. On Saturday, the Caritas aid agency said its staff had found the bodies of hundreds of people in Duekoue, and estimated that 1,000 may have died.
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 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".
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.
France has sent an extra 300 soldiers to Cote d'Ivoire, Defence Ministry spokesman, Thierry Burkhard said, taking the total French force to about 1,400.
The airport had been secured by UN troops since Friday, but the French move meant the airport was now able to re-open, Burkhard told the BBC.
The aim of the reinforcement was "to take control over the airport which was also done in co-ordination with the UN mission, to allow the re-opening of this airport to civilian airlines and military flights," he said.
Burkhard added that the force's mission remained primarily the protection of French nationals, who were being threatened by looters.
"We are currently experiencing in Abidjan a security vacuum because the Ivorian security forces, which until now followed the orders of Gbagbo, answered in great numbers the rallying call made by President Ouattara," he said.
There were no immediate plans to start evacuating foreigners, he said, though about 1,600 were sheltering in a French army camp.
They include about 700 French nationals, some 600 Lebanese citizens and 60 Europeans of assorted nationalities, French media report.
Ivorian state TV, which is controlled by Gbagbo, accused the French troops of preparing a genocide like the one in Rwanda in 1994, when more than 800,000 people were killed.
A strap line on state TV on Sunday read: "[French President Nicolas] Sarkozy's men are preparing a Rwandan genocide in Cote d'Ivoire."
Sarkozy has called a cabinet meeting for Sunday afternoon to discuss the crisis in Cote d'Ivoire.
On Saturday, heavy artillery fire was heard in Abidjan as the two sides fought for key sites including the presidential palace, the headquarters of state TV and the Agban military base.
Four UN soldiers were seriously wounded when special forces supporting Gbagbo fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a UN armoured vehicle.
The west of Cote d'Ivoire has also seen vicious battles between rival militias and ethnic groups. On Saturday, the Caritas aid agency said its staff had found the bodies of hundreds of people in Duekoue, and estimated that 1,000 may have died.
Source - BBC
