FRENCH TROOPS PROBE CLAIMS OF GOVT HELICOPTER ATTACKS IN IVORY
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast Nov 28 Sapa-AP
COAST French troops stationed in divided Ivory Coast headed into the bush Thursday to investigate rebel claims that government forces had violated a month-old cease-fire by bombarding villages held by insurgents. The claims raised the specter of more fighting in the West African nation, economically crippled by a two-month uprising that has split the former French colony into a government-held south and rebel-held north. West African mediators are struggling to save stalled peace talks in nearby Togo, where a rebel delegation was due to submit its response Thursday to a draft accord. The rebels rejected a first blueprint. Regional leaders are desperate to avoid more fighting in Ivory Coast, the world's leading cocoa producer, and home to millions of immigrants from neighboring countries. A spokesman for the 1,000-strong French force said Thursday its soldiers would travel to the area around the central rebel-held town of Vavoua to investigate the claims and would report back by early afternoon. "They have gone out into the field in helicopters and vehicles," Lt. Col. Ange-Antoine Leccia said. French troops are positioned between the warring factions, monitoring the cease-fire. Rebel leader Tuo Fozie said Wednesday that loyalist forces in Mi-24 helicopter gunships attacked villages near Vavoua, striking a crowded market place. He did not name the villages, but an aide said Pelezi, 40 kilometers (25 miles) west Vavoua, was hit. Earlier Wednesday, an army spokesman said loyalist forces were going on the offensive following an attack on their positions near Man, about 500 kilometers (310 miles) northwest of the commercial capita,l Abidjan. Rebels denied the accusation and said they had no troops in that area. French forces said they had flown over the area and found no sign of fighting. Rebels, including around 800 recently dismissed soldiers, launched a failed coup attempt on Sept. 19. Hundreds were killed in the first days of fighting, and tens of thousands have fled their homes. On Wednesday, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin held talks with Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo in Abidjan, as part of a regional tour to push for a peaceful solution. Later, de Villepin flew to neighboring Burkina Faso - blamed by Ivory Coast authorities for backing the rebels - for talks with President Blaise Compaore. "You know to what extent the destiny, the unity and integrity of Ivory Coast is important to us," de Villepin said after meeting Compaore. Compaore said de Villepin had brought a message from Gbagbo, reaffirming the friendship between the two countries. Around 3 million nationals from Burkina Faso live in Ivory Coast but tens of thousands have left during the conflict, fleeing growing anti-foreigner sentiment. The rebels say they are fighting against the discrimination of mainly Muslim northern tribes by Christian and animist southern groups that have traditionally dominated government. The conflict has fanned simmering ethnic tensions between northern and southern groups. Peace talks have ground to a halt on rebel demands that Gbagbo resign to clear the way for new elections, and the authorities' insistence that the rebels disarm. Both sides have been rearming during the talks, and have accused each other of atrocities. The government has charged the rebels with summary executions and rape, while the insurgents say the government is operating death squads in Abidjan. Both sides deny the charges. Human rights groups say some of those targeted by alleged death squads are members of the northern-based opposition, headed by Alassane Dramane Ouattara. A former prime minister, Ouattara is accused by many Gbagbo supporters of backing the rebellion. He denies the charge. Ouattara had been in hiding with French diplomats since Sept. 19, but De Villepin said Wednesday he had left. Regional diplomatic sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he had flown to nearby Gabon.
REBEL POSITIONS, FRENCH ARMY SAYS
LEADS throughout to UPDATE with reports of fighting in western
town of Danane; TRIMS dated material
By CLAR NI CHONGHAILE
Associated Press Writer
Hundreds of Ivory Coast loyalist troops were advancing Thursday
toward a central rebel-held town to attack insurgents behind a
two-month uprising, French army spokesman said, raising the specter
of an all-out war in the divided West African nation.
"It is an incident that we qualify as serious," said Lt. Col.
Ange-Antoine Leccia, spokesman for the 1,000-strong French force
monitoring a month-old cease-fire in the former French colony.
The troops left the government-held city of Daloa on Thursday
morning and were headed toward Vavoua, 55 kilometers (35 miles)
away, Leccia said. They included a large number of English-speaking
African and white mercenaries, he said.
Rebel sources accused South African mercenaries of doubling
around French troops near Vavoua to attack their positions.
Residents in the western government-held town of Danane, near
the border with Liberia, also reported fighting Thursday.
French forces had not yet been able to verify the reports, but
Leccia said he did not think the rebel group that has split the
country was involved in those clashes. He did not elaborate.
"The fighting started this morning, and it is very heavy," said
a cocoa buyer in Danane, reached by telephone. "We are all hiding,
the children are scared, everyone is shouting."
"Nobody is moving, nobody is going out," said another resident,
who gave his name only as Hugue. Machine gun fire could be heard as
he spoke on the telephone.
Ivory Coast has been split into a government-held south and
rebel-held north since insurgents launched a failed coup attempt on
Sept. 19. Hundreds have been killed and tens of thousands have fled
their homes.
Word of the loyalist advance came after government and rebel
forces traded accusations of violating the truce signed Oct. 17.
The army said Wednesday it was going on the offensive after
rebels attacked its positions near the western city of Man, about
500 kilometers (310 miles) northwest of the commercial capital,
Abidjan. Rebels denied they had attacked, and French forces said
they had seen no sign of combat.
Later Wednesday, Rebels said loyalist troops had used Mi-24
helicopter gunships to bombard villages in the zone under their
control. Rebel leader Tuo Fozie said 40 civilians were killed in
the village of Bonifla, near Vavoua. The village of Pelezi was also
hit, according to one of Fozie's aides.
French troops were verifying the rebel claims Thursday.
"War has resumed," headlined the state-run daily Fraternite
Matin in its Thursday edition.
The troop movements come as West African mediators struggled to
save stalled peace talks in nearby Togo. Regional leaders are eager
to avoid all-out war in Ivory Coast, a regional economic powerhouse
that is home to millions of immigrants.
As government troops headed toward Vavoua, the rebel delegation
at the talks met Togolese President Gnassingbe Eyadema, who is
hosting the negotiations. There was no immediate reaction from the
mediators to the troop movements.
The rebels say they are fighting against the discrimination of
mainly Muslim northern tribes by Christian and animist southern
groups that have traditionally dominated government. The conflict
has fanned simmering ethnic tensions between northern and southern
groups.
Peace talks have ground to a halt on rebel demands that Gbagbo
resign to clear the way for new elections, and the authorities'
insistence that the rebels disarm. Both sides have been rearming
during the talks, and have accused each other of atrocities.
The government has charged the rebels with summary executions
and rape, while the insurgents say the government is operating
death squads in Abidjan. Both sides deny the charges.
Human rights groups say some of those targeted by the alleged
death squads are members of the northern-based opposition, headed
by Alassane Dramane Ouattara. A former prime minister, Ouattara is
accused by many Gbagbo supporters of backing the rebellion. He
denies the charge.
Ouattara had been in hiding with French diplomats since Sept.
19, but French Foreign Minister Dominique De Villepin, who met
Gbagbo in Abidjan for talks Wednesday, said he had left. Regional
diplomatic sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he had
flown to Gabon.