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| East/Subsaharan Africa |
| Rebels Say Ivory Coast Bombed Village |
| 2003-04-09 |
| Ivory Coast rebels accused the government of bombing a border town on Tuesday, threatening a newly formed unity government. Ivory Coast army spokesman Lt. Col. N'Goran Aka denied the rebel claims, saying he knew of no combat in the region. "Lies! All lies!" A rebel leader, Deli Gaspard, said the attack took place in the town of Danane, about 35 miles north of Bin-Houye. Both towns are near Ivory Coast's border with Liberia. ``We deplore these attacks,'' said Gaspard by satellite telephone from the western stronghold town of Man, calling the bombing unprovoked. ``We attacked no one.'' "We haven't shot at anyone in Lt. Col. Philippe Perret, a spokesman for the French army - which has more than 3,000 troops guarding an oft-violated cease-fire line - said he was aware of fighting in the area, but had no further details. Rebel representatives last Thursday joined a unity government arranged under a unilaterally French-brokered January peace deal. Rebels boycotted earlier meetings of the government. They now say they will not go to the next meeting of the government in Abidjan on Wednesday, citing security concerns. Sounds like they're setting the stage for renewing the revolution. Last week's government meeting raised hopes that the new transitional government would help end the six-month insurgency in the world's top cocoa producer and former French colony. Rebel forces have occupied the north and much of Ivory Coast's cocoa- and coffee-rich west since a failed September coup attempt. Fighting has killed more than 3,000 people, according to government estimates, and has displaced more than a million. Ivory Coast has been plagued by instability since a 1999 coup shattered the country's decades-long reputation as a West African economic powerhouse and bastion of peace. They're not going to be a bastion of peace for a long time to come. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #4 tu3031-- only if you mean Afghanistan like their new buddy Russia's experience with that country. Hmm.....arming the rebels to fight the French? Dare we? ;) |
| Posted by: Former Russian Major 2003-04-09 19:09:07 |
| #3 Think this could be the "French Vietnam"? Wait a minute, they've already had a Vietnam. It was ...oh, yeah... Vietnam! Maybe this could be the "French Afghanistan"? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-04-09 14:08:43 |
| #2 Let's also not forget that the French came in, unilaterally, and IMPOSED a settlement on the Ivory Coast that does little good and pleases no one. Someone should remind the French - about six times a day. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-04-09 12:48:55 |
| #1 Lets not forget what religion those rebels are ... the religion of Peace |
| Posted by: anon1 2003-04-09 04:14:45 |