#1 UN troops besieged in Ivory Coast
Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 4:19 pm
BBC
At this point France and the UN should rethink things I believe. But it's clear that their current levels of force are insuffient for much of anythign expect providing targets.
There's a word for this situation... starts with "q."United Nations peacekeepers in Ivory Coast's main city are under siege by supporters of President Laurent Gbagbo.
More than 2,000 protesters have tried to force their way into UN headquarters in Abidjan, and had to be held back by warning shots and tear gas.
More than 300 troops have been forced to withdraw from two UN bases in the west of the country after clashes that left at least four protesters dead.
The UN Security Council has expressed "great concern" at the unrest.
IVORY COAST CONFLICT
Sept 2002: Dissident soldiers fail to overthrow President Gbagbo, but rebels seize north of country
May 2003: Armed forces sign ceasefire with rebel groups
Nov 2004: Ivorian air force attacks rebels; French forces destroy parts of Ivorian air force after nine of their soldiers killed. Violent anti-French protests prompt thousands of Westerners to leave
Oct 2005: Planned elections shelved as President Gbagbo invokes a law which he says allows him to stay in power
Who are the peacekeepers?
In pictures: Ivorian unrest
Ivory Coast has been split in two since a failed coup attempt in 2002, with rebels controlling the northern half of the country.
Protests by Gbagbo supporters erupted on Monday after international mediators recommended dissolving parliament, whose mandate has expired.
The BBC's James Copnall in Abidjan says the national assembly is one of Mr Gbagbo's last power bases in divided Ivory Coast.
Following the mediators' move, the ruling party pulled out of the transitional government and UN-backed peace talks, and called on the 10,000 French and UN troops keeping the peace to leave.
Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo flew in on Wednesday for urgent talks with Mr Gbagbo to try to salvage the peace process.
'Defended themselves'
In the early hours of Wednesday, the UN base at Guiglo, 300km (187 miles), was besieged by youths supporting President Gbagbo, known as "Young Patriots".
The 300-strong Bangladeshi peacekeeping force stationed there responded with force.
"They had to defend themselves," said Captain Gilles Combarieu, a UN military observer.
Enlarge Image
The UN decided to abandon Guiglo and the smaller base of Douekue nearby, and the peacekeepers were being withdrawn to the demilitarised zone further north, Capt Combarieu said.
Our correspondent says the Young Patriots are also now in control of virtually all the main streets in Abidjan.
France, the former colonial power, expressed concern and called for calm. The head of French defence staff has called for sanctions against Ivory Coast.
The UN Security Council will consider possible responses, including sanctions, at a meeting on Thursday, said council president Augustine Mahiga of Tanzania.
"We are following very closely the situation. It is definitely deteriorating and there's great concern," he said.
'Putsch'
International mediators were appointed by the UN to help steer the country towards elections, which were due to be held last year but were postponed because of the continued instability.
Analysts say by calling for the dissolution of parliament, mediators intended to strengthen Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny's authority and ensure that hostile deputies did not block attempts to implement the peace process, as happened last year.
But the ruling Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) accused the international community of carrying out a "constitutional coup d'etat".
A spokesman for the rebel New Forces, which hold the north, responded: "There is not a future for Ivory Coast if the FPI succeeds in making a putsch against the peace process. That means war."
At this point France and the UN should rethink things I believe. But it's clear that their current levels of force are insuffient for much of anythign expect providing targets.