Ivory Coast military attacks French soldiers.

[Arminius]

Read about it here

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Ivory Coast's military killed nine French soldiers in a bombing raid on the rebel stronghold of Bouake on Saturday and opened fire on troops from the former colonial power in the main city of Abidjan.

French President Jacques Chirac ordered warplanes and helicopters used by the West African country in violation of a cease-fire to be destroyed after the air raid, in which 23 French soldiers were injured and a U.S. citizen killed.

French soldiers destroyed the two Sukhoi 25 fighters that bombed Bouake on the ground in the capital Yamoussoukro. Loud explosions and gunfire rocked the city later and flames could be seen rising from the site where three helicopters are based.

The U.N. Security Council met in emergency session to discuss the crisis in the world's top cocoa grower.

The French military sent three Mirage fighter jets and a supply plane to Gabon as reinforcements after the clashes and ordered 300 more soldiers to Ivory Coast.

Government forces bombed rebel positions for the third day running on Saturday, paving the way for a ground offensive to retake the north of the West African country, seized by rebels after a failed attempt to oust President Laurent Gbgabo in 2002.

The bombing raids were the first major hostilities since a truce signed in May last year ended fighting which had killed thousands and uprooted more than a million people.

"The President of the Republic ordered the immediate destruction of the Ivorian military aircraft used in recent days in violation of the cease-fire," Chirac's office said.

The Ivorian army said it had not meant to bomb the base in Bouake. The pilots got out before their planes were destroyed.

Henry Aussavy, French military spokesman in Abidjan, said Ivorian forces later opened fire on French troops at the airport in Abidjan. An Ivorian military source said two of their soldiers had been wounded in the clash.

ANTI-FRENCH ATTACKS
Mobs of machete-wielding supporters of President Laurent Gbagbo, known as "Young Patriots," rampaged through Abidjan and Yamoussoukro furious at the French destruction of the planes.
Plumes of thick smoke rose from the plush Cocody suburb of Abidjan where a French school was razed.

Two-meter flames leapt into the sky from a French school in Yamoussoukro as crowds of bare-chested protesters carted away computers and smoke billowed out of the building.

The French embassy said some of its citizens were being evacuated from homes in Abidjan by helicopter as gangs looted their homes. Four French policemen were airlifted from a building there before it too was burned down.

France holds Gbagbo "personally responsible" for public order in the country, French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said.

A spokesman for Gbagbo later appealed for calm on state television and urged people not to attack foreigners pending an investigation into the bombing.

Some 4,000 French soldiers and more than 6,000 U.N. troops are in Ivory Coast policing a buffer zone around a cease-fire line that cuts a swathe across the country and separates the rebels in the north from the government-run south.

U.N. peacekeepers stopped two army convoys trying to cross into the zone on Friday, but rebel leaders have accused the peacekeepers of not doing more to stop government attacks.

Rebel officials said government troops had moved into the confidence zone and were at Sakasso, a town 25 miles south of the main rebel base of Bouake. Ivorian military sources said their forces were only 6 miles from Bouake.

Aid workers for Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said there had been heavy gunfire in Bouake on Saturday afternoon. The U.N. in Ivory Coast said rebels were still in their main town.

Aid workers in the rebel-held town of Danane, 17 miles from Liberia, said they feared an imminent attack.

"They have got through the confidence zone near Danane to attack us. We are pushing them back now," said Sidiki Konate, spokesman for the rebel New Forces.

The conflict begins anew? Or just a hiccup?

 

[HamaticBabylon]

Great, all we need is Cameroon to declare war on Nigeria!

 

[Arminius]

A silly question: why does France and the UN support a continued rebellion against the government and not a resolution?

 

[Bugfatty300]

Too bad about those 9 French Soldiers and American killed. I hope they take the people behind it out.

BTW, Why did the French have destroy those planes on the ground? Din't their forces have any air cover or air defenses?

Those 3 Mirages probably are going to help alot. That is if the U.N. doesn't slap an impossible ROE on them.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

@Bugfatty. Probably because they didn't expect to be attacked. They probably expected the planes were going to attack the rebels.

 

[Steph]

It was a surprise attack.

We don't support the rebellion. The country is divided in two: North is FN (Forces Nouvelles = new forcew = the rebels) and South is governmental.

There was agreement for a cease fire, and a new government including rebel representative was to exist.

6000 UN peacekeepers are here to enforce the cease fire, and they are assisted by 4000 French soldiers.

But neither side is respecting the cease fire

 

[Drewcifer]

The situation in Ivory Coast is a sad one. It used to be one of the few countries in Africa that actually worked economically, though 30+ years of benevolent dictatorship didn't prepare it for the future. There was a time when it was a beacon of hope for the rest of the continent. France's peacekeeping mission there was a fairly altruistic projection of force by contemporary standards. Too bad for the nine Frenchmen, the one American and the victims of anti-French riots that altruism doesn't count for squat when both sides are intent on a civil war, the greater tragedy is the one that the Ivory Coast will again be experiencing.

 

[Winner]

France should propose major sanctions against IC government and consider an option of overthrowing it. I am not joking.

Other option is to hand over this issue to African Union, but i am afraid they are not willing to do something about it.

Here i am posting some comments from BBC pages:

I live by the bridge General De Gaulle and that is the bridge on which the French soldiers fired on hundreds and hundreds of young protesters that were unarmed. I was up all night on my balcony that has a direct view on that bridge. Why shoot on people from the air? How many dead I do not know, but I saw lot of people being shot at again - I repeat unarmed. Why do you not report that side of the story? I guess we are still a colony to the eyes of the international community, according to France! Walid Abdul-Massih, Abidjan, Ivory Coast

The situation in Ivory Coast yet points to one serious direction - foreign interference into African affairs. In this 21st Century, the West must be very careful in their attitudes towards Africa and its people, because there is already billions of tons of anger stocked against the West throughout the continent. What is taking place now in Abidjan is just a drop in an ocean, but more explosive situations are just on the horizon, and believe it or not, Africa may become another Middle East for the West. They [the West] will have to leave the continent whether they like it or not. The French scenario in Abidjan is just the beginning. Jorhe Yang, Abidjan, Ivory coast

Why is it that the France cannot leave us and the Ivorians to handle our own problems? Mark Belleh, Algiers, Algeria

So Africans consider French soldiers as oppresors. What a gratitude! French soldiers are dying here to keep the peace and order and they resent that.

Oh well, maybe we should let them kill themselves. Than, they would say "you westerners are evil because you don't want to help us". Strange...

 

[samildanach]

That's Africa for you. They are quite happy for you to maintain a ceasefire when they have exhausted themselves. But once they've pulled themselves together again you become the evil western oppressors stopping them from righteously pangaing the village across the river.

 

[Winner]

That's Africa for you. They are quite happy for you to maintain a ceasefire when they have exhausted themselves. But once they've pulled themselves together again you become the evil western oppressors stopping them from righteously pangaing the village across the river.

Colonialism was a mistake. We brought civilisation to stone-age people and now we see the results.

 

[Stapel]

The situation in Ivory Coast is a sad one. It used to be one of the few countries in Africa that actually worked economically, though 30+ years of benevolent dictatorship didn't prepare it for the future. There was a time when it was a beacon of hope for the rest of the continent. France's peacekeeping mission there was a fairly altruistic projection of force by contemporary standards. Too bad for the nine Frenchmen, the one American and the victims of anti-French riots that altruism doesn't count for squat when both sides are intent on a civil war, the greater tragedy is the one that the Ivory Coast will again be experiencing.

Indeed. Until a few years back, it was one of the best African countries to live in. Not democratic, not free, but a great stability.

The main reason for practically any African nation being behind, lies, imho, in the overhasted de-colonisation. I really think the only way to do it, is first bring stability, a fair economy AND FREE INDEPENDENT PRESS, local democracy and then see about independence of the nation.
The only thing to do this, is when you first re-colonise nations. Never gonna happen, too complicated, but probably the only feasible option.

I always have to think about Suriname when former colonies come along. I gained indepence in 1975, without a referendum or whatsoever. 60% of the population decided to stay Dutch, and moved away.

Neglecting the future for a free democracy in the de-colonisation process, was a big mistake.
It's ironical to know that in the early 80s, Zimbabwe was THE example of how it had to be done, and Robert Mugabe, was THE example of (in the view of the Western world) good leadership for an African nation.

Having said all this, I am pretty worried about a friend of mine in Cd'I, who fails to respond to mail and SMS....

 

[Steph]

Look at what happened in Sierra Leone or Liberia : the UK let Africans handle the situation... And then they had to come back.

France wanted to stop the massacre before they could happen. That's why we alsmot immediately stop troops there and tried to have them reach an agreement, with UN approval.

But Gbagbo doesn't want an agreement that could put him out of power.

Well, as our foreign minister and defense minister said, he will be held personnally responsible of the stability of the country and any damage or deaht. I wonder what it really means...

 

[Drewcifer]

Look at what happened in Sierra Leone or Liberia : the UK let Africans handle the situation... And then they had to come back.

France wanted to stop the massacre before they could happen. That's why we alsmot immediately stop troops there and tried to have them reach an agreement, with UN approval.

But Gbagbo doesn't want an agreement that could put him out of power.

Well, as our foreign minister and defense minister said, he will be held personnally responsible of the stability of the country and any damage or deaht. I wonder what it really means...

It means that ten years from now after a million people are dead, he has lost and his country is ruined he will stand trial in the Hauge.

Edit: And no country save one will have tried to stop it.

 

[Steph]

I'm not so sure he has to wait for 10 years

 

[The Last Conformist]

Hah! More evidence of Gaulish cowardize! Had they had any American spirit, they'd killed the brutes before they got about breaking any ceasefires.

[/troll]

 

[Drewcifer]

I'm not so sure he has to wait for 10 years

For the sake of Cote d'Ivorie tomorrow would definitely be better than ten years from now. France is perhaps the only country that can prevent a catastrophic civil war there. It is a difficult road with not much room for error on either side.

 

[Akka]

Well, if, for ONCE, the utterly disgusting habits for France to create and destroy leaders in Africa at will, would serve an actually good purpose...

 

[Arminius]

So Africans consider French soldiers as oppresors. What a gratitude! French soldiers are dying here to keep the peace and order and they resent that.

This sounds like the issue in Afghanistan and to a lesser extent, Iraq with US, UK, Australia, Poland, Japan, etc.

 

[G-Man]

Are the French soldiers a part of the peace keeping force? And if so, wouldn't it be better to send soldiers from a country less politicaly and historicaly involved in the situation there?

 

[The Last Conformist]

They are, and perhaps it would. There's not exactly been other countries lining up to do it, tho, and there aren't really alot of countries with the capacities of France in this regard.

Edit: However, IIUC the Frenchmen are not part of the UN force proper. They're co-peacekeepers or something.