Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Côte d'Ivoire: Abidjan kidnapped two French

While the armed forces are engaged Alassane Ouattara, from mid-day on Monday, April 4, a new assault in Abidjan against troops loyal to the outgoing president, Laurent Gbagbo, the French Foreign Ministry confirmed on the evening the kidnapping of several people in Abidjan, including two French nationals.

"Four people have been removed. These are two French, one Beninese and one Malaysian," said a diplomatic source said, citing witnesses to the abduction. "Between six and seven armed elements have intruded into the Novotel, located in" an area controlled by the Gbagbo camp "in the business district and the economic center of Côte d'Ivoire (the Plateau) .

The French are removed the hotel manager and the chairman of the board of directors of Ivorian agro-industrial group Sifca. Earlier, the spokesman of the Ministry at the Quai d'Orsay, Bernard Valero, stated "the abduction by armed men from several people, including two French nationals," as a result of information provided by the station Europe 1, which suggests a kidnapping committed "during an attack defense forces loyal" to Laurent Gbagbo (Defence Forces and security, FDS).

The abductions, which took place in a building which houses many French citizens, came as French army has sent 150 more troops the day to protect expatriates in the economic capital. The additional company was dispatched from Gabon, where Paris has a ongoing basis. She saw the front of the Licorne force to about 1,650 men, according to information provided by the staff of the armies in Paris, who squared the city to gather the French nationals and other foreign countries.

Since Monday evening, the Licorne forces are also involved in attacks against UNOCI strongholds of the pro-Gbagbo. The French army said that about 447 foreigners, including French, left Abidjan. The day before, Nicolas Sarkozy had decided "reunification without delay" of all French people of the city, without giving evacuation instructions.

Nearly 1,900 people gathered Monday morning at a French military camp of Port-Bouet, Abidjan, said the spokesman of the Defence Staff. According to the Quai d'Orsay, two new points of consolidation of the French in Abidjan have been opened, Le Wafou, south of the bridge (south side of town), and the Embassy of France to the north.

The Quai d'Orsay 12 200 estimated the number of French in Cote d'Ivoire, including 11,800 in Abidjan. Some 7,300 have dual nationality. During the day Monday, a message of the armed forces loyal to the outgoing president, broadcast by RTI, stated that "the security of French citizens living in Cote d'Ivoire" was guaranteed despite the fighting and the support of France to Alassane Ouattara, recognized winner of the presidential election of November 2010 by the international community.

"Despite the maneuvers of France to sow death in Côte d'Ivoire, the Forces for Defence and Security (FDS) to ensure the safety of French nationals in Ivory Coast," read a banner down. "No message of patriots [fervent supporters of Mr Gbagbo] calls upon the Ivorian attack French nationals," concludes the text.

The spokesman Guillaume Soro, interviewed Monday on the ongoing consolidation of French at the beginning of the new offensive on Abidjan FRCI, for his part said: "We do not want to bother anybody. It can be offensive while allowing France to go to its people. "

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