Sunday, February 27, 2011

Côte d'Ivoire: a rough time in the west, Gbagbo's camp blames UN

The former Ivorian rebel New Forces (FN) holding the north, took Friday two localities in the west, the area under the control of outgoing President Laurent Gbagbo, it was learned from sources. In the town of Zouan Hounien, near the Liberian border, the fighting had objected Thursday elements of the former rebellion, combined with Alassane Ouattara, head of state recognized by the international community, and Defence Forces and Security (FDS ) loyal to Gbagbo.

Friday, FN elements occupied "the entire city," testified one resident, interviewed by telephone from Abidjan. An official of the SDS in the area confirmed the capture of the city by the opposing camp, ensuring that it was a "tactical withdrawal" of the pro-Gbagbo. All units pre-positioned on the SDS old front line from west to east cutting the country since the clashes of 2002-2003 are "on alert", he added.

Going a little further south, the FN has also taken on Friday the small village of Bin Houyé, residents said. "We found that the city is fully occupied by the FN soldiers. They are identified by their lattice", said to one teacher. "We're going to Bloléquin (city in south-east of Bin Houyé) put us away," he added.

Farther south, in the same area, fighting raged throughout the day at the entrance to the great city of Toulépleu, residents said. "We hear gunfire, heavy weapons," he told one of them. Earlier in the day, Charles Ble Goude, minister and leader of the "patriotic" supporters of Laurent Gbagbo, has called on young people to "organize themselves into committees to prevent by all means," the UN force in the country of movement, addressing about 3,000 people in the district pro-Gbagbo Yopougon.

"Today it is not the rebels that we are at war, that UNOCI which we did," he said, calling for the establishment of "self-defense committees in districts." "We must avoid falling into the trap of civil war, "he said however. "This is the trap that tends the enemy. I do not want you to respond to their case by case," said Minister of Youth Laurent Gbagbo.

The public meeting ended in a stormy atmosphere, and Charles Ble Goude was heckled on leaving. Campaigners have expressed anger, calling for a slogan to go and fight the camp Ouattara. "We want to liberate, we want to liberate, we want to fight!" Shouted some. "We are in our neighborhoods are suffering and it tells us to be calm, this is hogwash! We want to lay siege to UNOCI.

We're going to die, it's true, but we will liberate our country! ", told one group of young activists. In a statement issued after the cabinet meeting on Thursday, the Gbagbo government has condemned "the attitude of UN forces complicit" in "infiltration" of "rebels" in several districts of Abidjan.

The camp has been calling for Gbagbo's departure in December of UNOCI, which it accuses of having sided with his opponent. The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon "strongly deplored" these threats. "The secretary general strongly deplores the threats made by Mr Gbagbo's camp against the UN, including the recent call to hinder from today (Friday) the movement of peacekeepers in Abidjan" , he said, quoted by his spokesman Martin Nesirky.

"It demands the immediate cessation of these threats and obstructions to the activities of peacekeepers, especially their efforts to protect the civilian population," he added.

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