Ivory Coast: Fighting rages near president's palace
Heavy fighting is raging near Ivory Coast's presidential palace and mansion,
as armed forces loyal to the elected leader closed in on the strongman who
has held on to power in defiance of the results of elections held in
November.
Alassane Ouattara, who won November's UN-supervised election, also ordered the
country's borders closed in an attempt to prevent strongman Laurent Gbagbo
and his allies from fleeing.
Residents of Abidjan locked up in their homes reported barrages of heavy arms
fire punctuated by detonations throughout the night. On the peninsula where
the presidential palace is situated, buildings were shaking with each
explosion, witnesses said.
Patrick Achi, a spokesman for Mr Ouattara, said the fighters had breached the
city limit overnight and were waging battles at the palace and the residence.
Mr Achi said the forces, who are former rebels who fought in a civil war a
decade ago that left Ivory
Coast divided, had seized Radio Television Ivoirienne, the
government-owned broadcaster.
Choi Young-jin, the top United Nations envoy in Ivory Coast, told French radio
on Thursday that as many as 50,000 soldiers, police and members of the
security force have abandoned Mr Gbagbo in recent days.
Sanctions imposed on Mr Gabagbo and his inner circle failed to dislodge the
strongman, but analysts say the armed offensive will force the regime out
within days.
"It's over – except for the shooting," said a diplomat
stationed in the city.
A Swedish woman working for the United Nations was killed by a stray bullet
during the fighting in Abidjan on Thursday night, the Foreign Ministry in
Stockholm confirmed.
Some 500 foreigners have sought refuge at a French military base.
Since the election, up to 1 million people have fled the fighting and at least
494 people have been killed, most of them Ouattara supporters
No comments:
Post a Comment