.- Amnesty International (AI) today warned of a new outbreak of violence in Ivory Coast in Abidjan following clashes between supporters of President Laurent Gbagbo in office and his rival Alassane Ouattara. 'This morning there was more serious confrontation in Abidjan since the presidential elections of November 2010 and could plunge Ivory Coast in an armed confrontation, "said Salvatore Sagués, AI researcher for West Africa.'There is a real risk that the Ivorian population is trapped in the fighting on both sides' Sagués said in a statement released by the AI website, based in London. AI has learned of the death of at least five members of the security forces during a clash with armed civilians in the Abobo neighborhood in Abidjan, a stronghold of the Alliance of Republicans (RDR), Ouattara's party, considered the president-elect.
This clash came a day after the death of at least four civilians and two policemen in Abobo during a clash with security forces carried out house to house searches. Residents, possibly supported by demobilized rebels, fired on the soldiers, resulting in a shootout during which destroyed four trucks and a police armored vehicle.
The former rebels, supporters of Ouattara and control of northern Ivory Coast, denied involvement in the clashes, but media reports published that it is likely that some have been involved. Ouattara was proclaimed winner of the presidential elections on Nov. 28, but Gbagbo, who has ruled the country since 2000, refuses to relinquish power on the ground of failure of the Constitutional Council to overturn the result and give him the victory.
Post-election violence so far has left over 200 dead and forced more than 25 000 Ivorians to seek refuge in neighboring Liberia.
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