Ivory Coast recruits SA mercenary troops and pilots
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Ivory Coast recruits SA mercenary troops and pilots
News 24
South African mercenaries might soon join Angolan soldiers in helping Ivory Coast government troops subdue rebel forces in this west African country.
Reliable intelligence sources say a recruitment attempt in South Africa is already well under way in signing up between 30 and 40 well-trained mercenaries for "VIP protection" in the Ivory Coast.
The soldiers must apparently have a thorough knowledge of water operations and evacuations, as well as helicopter training.
In exchange, they will earn good money.
The first of these soldiers will allegedly leave for Ivory Coast this week.
The contract is allegedly being endorsed by the Ivory Coast government and supported by French financing.
French soldiers are already in the country to help stabilise the situation.
The South African soldiers must apparently also have a thorough knowledge of Ivory Coast and neigbouring countries, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Scores of South Africans were involved in these countries during the past couple of years. The United Nations (UN) confirmed in a report two years ago that South Africans were training Liberian and Sierra Leonean troops. Karl Alberts was identified at the time as a helicopter pilot flying for the Liberian army.
About 200 Angolese troops arrived in Ivory Coast last week to assist President Laurent Gbabgo.
Henri Boshoff, military analyst at the Institute of Security Studies, says he knows about "local plans for operations in Ivory Coast".
"South Africa has promised to assist Ivory Coast, but the government's ability to get involved is severely limited.
"At the same time, Gbagbo, when confronted about the Angolans in his country, defended their presence by saying it was completely within his rights to hire foreign soldiers as he saw fit and when necessary.
"South African mercenaries are involved in many African conflicts. It will therefore not be unusual to soon come across a swift reaction unit in the Ivory Coast," Boshoff said.
The Act on Foreign Military Aid stipulates that South Africans taking part in other countries' conflicts may be prosecuted.
Since this law came into effect about three years ago, mercenaries have continued with their activities in foreign countries as "security guards". No-one has yet been charged in terms of the act.
Foreign affairs spokesperson Nomfanelo Kota said on Tuesday afternoon that the department was investigating the matter.
More details will be made available in due course.
South African mercenaries might soon join Angolan soldiers in helping Ivory Coast government troops subdue rebel forces in this west African country.
Reliable intelligence sources say a recruitment attempt in South Africa is already well under way in signing up between 30 and 40 well-trained mercenaries for "VIP protection" in the Ivory Coast.
The soldiers must apparently have a thorough knowledge of water operations and evacuations, as well as helicopter training.
In exchange, they will earn good money.
The first of these soldiers will allegedly leave for Ivory Coast this week.
The contract is allegedly being endorsed by the Ivory Coast government and supported by French financing.
French soldiers are already in the country to help stabilise the situation.
The South African soldiers must apparently also have a thorough knowledge of Ivory Coast and neigbouring countries, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Scores of South Africans were involved in these countries during the past couple of years. The United Nations (UN) confirmed in a report two years ago that South Africans were training Liberian and Sierra Leonean troops. Karl Alberts was identified at the time as a helicopter pilot flying for the Liberian army.
About 200 Angolese troops arrived in Ivory Coast last week to assist President Laurent Gbabgo.
Henri Boshoff, military analyst at the Institute of Security Studies, says he knows about "local plans for operations in Ivory Coast".
"South Africa has promised to assist Ivory Coast, but the government's ability to get involved is severely limited.
"At the same time, Gbagbo, when confronted about the Angolans in his country, defended their presence by saying it was completely within his rights to hire foreign soldiers as he saw fit and when necessary.
"South African mercenaries are involved in many African conflicts. It will therefore not be unusual to soon come across a swift reaction unit in the Ivory Coast," Boshoff said.
The Act on Foreign Military Aid stipulates that South Africans taking part in other countries' conflicts may be prosecuted.
Since this law came into effect about three years ago, mercenaries have continued with their activities in foreign countries as "security guards". No-one has yet been charged in terms of the act.
Foreign affairs spokesperson Nomfanelo Kota said on Tuesday afternoon that the department was investigating the matter.
More details will be made available in due course.
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SA "Merc's" Land in Ivory Coast
News 24
Abidjan - South African mercenaries have landed in Ivory Coast to help the government fight rebels who hold half the territory of the world's largest cocoa producer, foreign military sources said on Wednesday.
Among the dozens of mercenaries arriving in the West African country were veterans of the disbanded Executive Outcomes, a South African group whose paid soldiers scored victories against rebel forces in Angola and Sierra Leone in the mid-1990s.
Reports that the mercenaries had arrived in Abidjan came as rebels met a government team in Togo for peace talks to end the conflict, which stems from a failed September 19 coup and left hundreds dead before a truce 12 days ago.
"The first group of 40 mercenaries came to ensure the president's security," one foreign military source told Reuters. "Another group of about 160 are expected and that looks like it could be for bigger operations."
Another source said the plan was put together by a French "godfather", but relied mostly on South African manpower and was backed by Russian-built helicopters including Mi-8s for transport and at least one Mi-24 "Hind" gunship.
At South Africa's Institute for Security Studies, analyst John Tuma said he knew 200 mercenaries had been recruited in the country for the mission to Ivory Coast.
President Laurent Gbagbo's adviser in Paris, Toussaint Alain, said he could neither confirm nor deny the arrival of mercenaries in Ivory Coast.
"We are a legitimate government and we have the right to buy arms where we like and enlist the help of who we like," he said.
Dogs of war on both sides
African mercenaries from a dozen years of savage civil wars in nearby Liberia and Sierra Leone, as well as from neighbouring Burkina Faso, are beefing up the rebel Patriotic Movement of Ivory Coast, regional security sources say.
Mercenaries have plunged into African conflicts since the independence era of the 1960s, when notorious dogs of war like Bob Denard and "Mad" Mike Hoare fought in the anarchic Congo.
Pilots, many from the former Soviet Union, fly transport and combat missions in conflicts across the continent.
But the most successful operations of recent years were mounted by Executive Outcomes, relying on both black and white soldiers who had fought for South Africa's apartheid regime.
What began as a training mission for the Angolan government in the early 1990s evolved into offensives backed by helicopters and jets, which forced Unita rebels into a position from which they never really regained their strength.
In Sierra Leone, Executive Outcomes came in to help the government after rebels struck towards the capital in 1995. Within a few months, search and destroy missions had forced the brutal Revolutionary United Front to sue for peace.
But foreign donors were unhappy about payments linked to diamond-mining deals and pushed the government to end the contract. Sierra Leone then collapsed back into fighting.
Executive Outcomes was disbanded in 1999 as the South African government moved to outlaw citizens who fought in foreign wars, but the line is blurred as to exactly when providers of security services become mercenaries.
Abidjan - South African mercenaries have landed in Ivory Coast to help the government fight rebels who hold half the territory of the world's largest cocoa producer, foreign military sources said on Wednesday.
Among the dozens of mercenaries arriving in the West African country were veterans of the disbanded Executive Outcomes, a South African group whose paid soldiers scored victories against rebel forces in Angola and Sierra Leone in the mid-1990s.
Reports that the mercenaries had arrived in Abidjan came as rebels met a government team in Togo for peace talks to end the conflict, which stems from a failed September 19 coup and left hundreds dead before a truce 12 days ago.
"The first group of 40 mercenaries came to ensure the president's security," one foreign military source told Reuters. "Another group of about 160 are expected and that looks like it could be for bigger operations."
Another source said the plan was put together by a French "godfather", but relied mostly on South African manpower and was backed by Russian-built helicopters including Mi-8s for transport and at least one Mi-24 "Hind" gunship.
At South Africa's Institute for Security Studies, analyst John Tuma said he knew 200 mercenaries had been recruited in the country for the mission to Ivory Coast.
President Laurent Gbagbo's adviser in Paris, Toussaint Alain, said he could neither confirm nor deny the arrival of mercenaries in Ivory Coast.
"We are a legitimate government and we have the right to buy arms where we like and enlist the help of who we like," he said.
Dogs of war on both sides
African mercenaries from a dozen years of savage civil wars in nearby Liberia and Sierra Leone, as well as from neighbouring Burkina Faso, are beefing up the rebel Patriotic Movement of Ivory Coast, regional security sources say.
Mercenaries have plunged into African conflicts since the independence era of the 1960s, when notorious dogs of war like Bob Denard and "Mad" Mike Hoare fought in the anarchic Congo.
Pilots, many from the former Soviet Union, fly transport and combat missions in conflicts across the continent.
But the most successful operations of recent years were mounted by Executive Outcomes, relying on both black and white soldiers who had fought for South Africa's apartheid regime.
What began as a training mission for the Angolan government in the early 1990s evolved into offensives backed by helicopters and jets, which forced Unita rebels into a position from which they never really regained their strength.
In Sierra Leone, Executive Outcomes came in to help the government after rebels struck towards the capital in 1995. Within a few months, search and destroy missions had forced the brutal Revolutionary United Front to sue for peace.
But foreign donors were unhappy about payments linked to diamond-mining deals and pushed the government to end the contract. Sierra Leone then collapsed back into fighting.
Executive Outcomes was disbanded in 1999 as the South African government moved to outlaw citizens who fought in foreign wars, but the line is blurred as to exactly when providers of security services become mercenaries.
GunsssR4ever
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First Mi-24 flying
Lo Exjet ... long time bru ...
Man, got the old invite but I am finished with this sh*t man ... have a look at my comments re life policies ... and after what happened last year on 19 Oct ... I will stay kewlll man ... here is the latest ! Our friends are doing well - spoke to one yesterday. Cheers bru.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
ABIDJAN
A Russian made MI 24 Hind attack helicopter flew over Abidjan's military
airport yesterday, witness said.
Ivory Coast's army did not have the attack helicopter before the rebel
uprising broke out on September 19, and French forces deployed to monitor a
cease-fire between the army and rebels are not equipped with an MI 24.
The MI 24 Hind was designed to bea gunship and can be fitted with artillery,
cannons, rocket launchers and other weapons. It can carry eight passengers
in addition to two pilots. The helicopter was the signature weapon in the
Soviet war in Afghanistan. The aircraft appeared to be making test flights,
after being transported to Abidjan.
SAPA-AFP
Man, got the old invite but I am finished with this sh*t man ... have a look at my comments re life policies ... and after what happened last year on 19 Oct ... I will stay kewlll man ... here is the latest ! Our friends are doing well - spoke to one yesterday. Cheers bru.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
ABIDJAN
A Russian made MI 24 Hind attack helicopter flew over Abidjan's military
airport yesterday, witness said.
Ivory Coast's army did not have the attack helicopter before the rebel
uprising broke out on September 19, and French forces deployed to monitor a
cease-fire between the army and rebels are not equipped with an MI 24.
The MI 24 Hind was designed to bea gunship and can be fitted with artillery,
cannons, rocket launchers and other weapons. It can carry eight passengers
in addition to two pilots. The helicopter was the signature weapon in the
Soviet war in Afghanistan. The aircraft appeared to be making test flights,
after being transported to Abidjan.
SAPA-AFP
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Hey Buddy, Ivory Coast...I Don Theeenk so...Im back in da Caribbean (www.aircenterhelicopters.com) and I got a bottle of good Rum with your name on it.........29 flying hours down here from Tucson.......
If your gonna stay there, make sure you got plenty of WD-40 to keep those guns in order.............
Bert
If your gonna stay there, make sure you got plenty of WD-40 to keep those guns in order.............
Bert
GunsssR4ever
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Agreed
Lo down there Bert m8,
Our friend (the one that you met at the airshow) is there but the $ should be much more for me to have fun at this age ...
I mean REAL FUN.
Keep that rum well oiled m8 and I will come and visit. Oh and the Tassies is really not soooo bad
Our friend (the one that you met at the airshow) is there but the $ should be much more for me to have fun at this age ...
I mean REAL FUN.Keep that rum well oiled m8 and I will come and visit. Oh and the Tassies is really not soooo bad
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Mercenaries claim probed
Link
Pretoria - Officials in Ivory Coast have been told to investigate reports that South African mercenaries have been hired by Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.
"We have seen reports of this alleged activity by South Africans and have instructed our officials in the Ivory Coast to look into the matter," spokesperson Nomfanelo Kota told journalists.
"Certainly the South African government has not sanctioned any such activity," she added.
ISS
The Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies said on Tuesday several dozen South African mercenaries had been hired by Gbagbo to help him put down a rebellion that broke out last month.
"Forty of them arrived in Abidjan last Thursday and about 160 are meant to follow," ISS analyst John Tuma said.
"On the face of it they are there to protect the president, but the sheer number suggests that there may be more to it than that."
Kota said the government "had very little information to hand" about the alleged presence of South African fighters in the west African state.
"We are relying on our people there and our people on the (foreign) desk here to inform us," she said.
SA source of soldiers of fortune
During the apartheid era, South Africa was a well-known source of soldiers of fortune, most of them former members of the apartheid military.
They were involved in conflicts including those in Angola and Sierre Leone and were taken on by governments, rebel movements and private companies with financial interests like oil and diamonds, to protect them in the strife-torn countries.
But in 1998 the government approved a law banning all mercenary activity and it forced the country's most famous outfit of "security and military advisors", Executive Outcomes, to shut its doors.
Executive Outcomes
On Thursday the company's former sole shareholder, Nico Palm, denied rumours that it had dispatched men to help Gbagbo.
Palm said Executive Outcomes ceased operations on December 31, 1998, and has not reopened, although a copycat company might be operating under the same name out of Angola.
"Neither the ex-chairman nor myself have activated the company or given permission for Executive Outcomes to be used as a vehicle for any activities," he said in a statement to the local SAPA news agency.
"The name of Executive Outcomes is therefore being used in a totally fraudulent manner," he said. - Sapa-AFP
Pretoria - Officials in Ivory Coast have been told to investigate reports that South African mercenaries have been hired by Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.
"We have seen reports of this alleged activity by South Africans and have instructed our officials in the Ivory Coast to look into the matter," spokesperson Nomfanelo Kota told journalists.
"Certainly the South African government has not sanctioned any such activity," she added.
ISS
The Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies said on Tuesday several dozen South African mercenaries had been hired by Gbagbo to help him put down a rebellion that broke out last month.
"Forty of them arrived in Abidjan last Thursday and about 160 are meant to follow," ISS analyst John Tuma said.
"On the face of it they are there to protect the president, but the sheer number suggests that there may be more to it than that."
Kota said the government "had very little information to hand" about the alleged presence of South African fighters in the west African state.
"We are relying on our people there and our people on the (foreign) desk here to inform us," she said.
SA source of soldiers of fortune
During the apartheid era, South Africa was a well-known source of soldiers of fortune, most of them former members of the apartheid military.
They were involved in conflicts including those in Angola and Sierre Leone and were taken on by governments, rebel movements and private companies with financial interests like oil and diamonds, to protect them in the strife-torn countries.
But in 1998 the government approved a law banning all mercenary activity and it forced the country's most famous outfit of "security and military advisors", Executive Outcomes, to shut its doors.
Executive Outcomes
On Thursday the company's former sole shareholder, Nico Palm, denied rumours that it had dispatched men to help Gbagbo.
Palm said Executive Outcomes ceased operations on December 31, 1998, and has not reopened, although a copycat company might be operating under the same name out of Angola.
"Neither the ex-chairman nor myself have activated the company or given permission for Executive Outcomes to be used as a vehicle for any activities," he said in a statement to the local SAPA news agency.
"The name of Executive Outcomes is therefore being used in a totally fraudulent manner," he said. - Sapa-AFP
GunsssR4ever
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SA NOT in Ivory Coast Army !
The Same Story Bru
SA not in Ivory Coast army ...
Paris - The office of Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo denied on Thursday that South African mercenaries were fighting alongside his country's army to put down a six-week-old bloody rebellion.
"No credit should be given to rumours about any supposed presence of South African mercenaries in Ivory Coast," Gbagbo's communications adviser, Toussaint Alain, said in a statement.
"These fantasy allegations, put about by a western military source and the armed rebels, essentially aims to torpedo the Lome negotiations and to place responsibility, in advance, for any failure of the peace talks on President Gbagbo," the statement said.
Ivory Coast rebel leaders on Thursday began discussing their main demands with government negotiators at a meeting in the Togolese capital Lome in a bid to restore a fragile peace process.
Alain was responding to an allegation made on Tuesday by the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies that around 40 mercenaries, many of them South African, had been hired by Gbagbo to help him quash the rebellion and that another 160 were on their way. - Sapa-AFP
SA not in Ivory Coast army ...
Paris - The office of Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo denied on Thursday that South African mercenaries were fighting alongside his country's army to put down a six-week-old bloody rebellion.
"No credit should be given to rumours about any supposed presence of South African mercenaries in Ivory Coast," Gbagbo's communications adviser, Toussaint Alain, said in a statement.
"These fantasy allegations, put about by a western military source and the armed rebels, essentially aims to torpedo the Lome negotiations and to place responsibility, in advance, for any failure of the peace talks on President Gbagbo," the statement said.
Ivory Coast rebel leaders on Thursday began discussing their main demands with government negotiators at a meeting in the Togolese capital Lome in a bid to restore a fragile peace process.
Alain was responding to an allegation made on Tuesday by the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies that around 40 mercenaries, many of them South African, had been hired by Gbagbo to help him quash the rebellion and that another 160 were on their way. - Sapa-AFP
Still negotiating.. Some other news sources say the Ivorian army claims to have reoccupied all the rebel territories....so those non-existent men and their ghostly helicopter must have done a good job. Avancez les mercenaires..
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"The Ivorian army claims it has reoccupied the whole of Ivory Coast"... Oh well... What kind of newspaper may have printed such a thing? A local (loyalist) one, I assume. After all, last week, one Ivorian journalist asserted on the front page of his newspaper that French paratroopers had fired on a crowd of civilians in Abidjan!
I guess if Gbagbo had taken back all of his land, he wouldn't take sooooo much time to negociate with the rebels... That guy is very good at talking, and fairly poor at fighting... The Ivorians will REALLY need these foreign mercs you guys are talking about if they want to get somewhere with their war...
I guess if Gbagbo had taken back all of his land, he wouldn't take sooooo much time to negociate with the rebels... That guy is very good at talking, and fairly poor at fighting... The Ivorians will REALLY need these foreign mercs you guys are talking about if they want to get somewhere with their war...
GunsssR4ever
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Gbagbo must go - rebels
The Link
Bouake - Thousands of people turned out for a rebel meeting on Sunday in the central Ivory Coast town of Bouake, where the leaders of the insurgency again demanded the president's resignation.
"Stop the negotiations, it's a trap!" protesters shouted. "We support you," they screamed to the rebel leaders, while waving placards that denounced President Laurent Ggagbo.
About 25 000 people attended the meeting to listen to rebel leaders speak about the negotiations with government under way in the Togolese capital Lome.
"Gbagbo must resign! We don't trust him at all in these negotiations," said Guillaume Soro, secretary general of the rebels' political wing, the Ivory Coast Patriotic Movement.
Soro, who leads the rebel negotiating team along with Colonel Michel Gueu, returned to Bouake late Saturday. Two other rebel leaders, Sergeant Sherif Usman and Master Sergeant Tuo Fozie, returned to Bouake on Friday.
"We have the means to take up Gbagbo's challenge," Soro said.
If Gbagbo "abuses the ceasefire, we will go all the way to Abidjan," Soro said. "If it weren't for the French presence, we would already be there."
The government and the rebels agreed to a ceasefire on October 17. The deal cleared the way for peace talks, and France has deployed troops to monitor the truce.
Soro said the rebels would never agree to the government's demand that they disarm and confine themselves to barracks.
Usman told the crowd that he regretted the "false statements" government negotiators had made in Lome.
"While we negotiate, they say over in Abidjan that we have capitulated, that our troops on the ground will demobilize," he said angrily.
But the rebel leaders said they would go back to Lome on Monday, when the negotiations are scheduled to resume.
Rebels have gained control of the northern half of Ivory Coast since they began their uprising on September 19, disrupting one of the region's strongest economies, which produces 40% of the world's cocoa. - Sapa-AFP
Bouake - Thousands of people turned out for a rebel meeting on Sunday in the central Ivory Coast town of Bouake, where the leaders of the insurgency again demanded the president's resignation.
"Stop the negotiations, it's a trap!" protesters shouted. "We support you," they screamed to the rebel leaders, while waving placards that denounced President Laurent Ggagbo.
About 25 000 people attended the meeting to listen to rebel leaders speak about the negotiations with government under way in the Togolese capital Lome.
"Gbagbo must resign! We don't trust him at all in these negotiations," said Guillaume Soro, secretary general of the rebels' political wing, the Ivory Coast Patriotic Movement.
Soro, who leads the rebel negotiating team along with Colonel Michel Gueu, returned to Bouake late Saturday. Two other rebel leaders, Sergeant Sherif Usman and Master Sergeant Tuo Fozie, returned to Bouake on Friday.
"We have the means to take up Gbagbo's challenge," Soro said.
If Gbagbo "abuses the ceasefire, we will go all the way to Abidjan," Soro said. "If it weren't for the French presence, we would already be there."
The government and the rebels agreed to a ceasefire on October 17. The deal cleared the way for peace talks, and France has deployed troops to monitor the truce.
Soro said the rebels would never agree to the government's demand that they disarm and confine themselves to barracks.
Usman told the crowd that he regretted the "false statements" government negotiators had made in Lome.
"While we negotiate, they say over in Abidjan that we have capitulated, that our troops on the ground will demobilize," he said angrily.
But the rebel leaders said they would go back to Lome on Monday, when the negotiations are scheduled to resume.
Rebels have gained control of the northern half of Ivory Coast since they began their uprising on September 19, disrupting one of the region's strongest economies, which produces 40% of the world's cocoa. - Sapa-AFP
Hope the you manage to keep the beer cold though GunsssR4ever
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Proffesor Gunnsss ...
126.9 - Nee bru, the closest I came to civillian flying was a PPL when I was still in school - it lapsed in Standard 9 when I was 16 years old.
Closest to be a lecturer was in the SAAF where I used to be an constructor for 8 years. I used to teach Helicopter Aerodinamics and Navigation.
Have a gr8 day bru ...
Closest to be a lecturer was in the SAAF where I used to be an constructor for 8 years. I used to teach Helicopter Aerodinamics and Navigation.
Have a gr8 day bru ...
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South African "advisors" teach Ivorians how to fly
SA m*********s (hate that word as it is B***sh*t ) teach Ivorians how to fly
Abidjan
12 November 2002 11:27
French, South African and Bulgarian mercenaries have arrived in Ivory Coast
to help the army counter a rebellion that has split the west African country
in two, government sources admitted here on Monday.
They said the 50 odd mercenaries are mainly helicopter pilots who have been
hired to teach the army to handle new equipment it has acquired since the
start of the uprising on September 19.
"The mercenaries we have employed are instructors who have to teach the
Ivorian soldiers how to use new arms we have received for our war effort,"
said a source close to President Laurent Gbagbo's regime.
"We do not see them going into combat alongside our troops. They are meant to
help organise the military and to take care of certain security issues," he
added.
An analyst at the Institute of Security Studies in Pretoria said in late
October that about 40 mercenaries, some of them South Africans, had arrived
in Ivory Coast to help the army, and that 160 would soon follow.
But Gbagbo's aides at the time dismissed this as rumours.
A high-ranking officer in the Ivory Coast army on Monday confirmed the
mercenaries' presence in the country but was indignant at any suggestion that
they would fight alongside Ivorian soldiers.
"It would be humiliating for us. We will never allow the government to deploy
mercenaries to fight in this war. The only foreigners we will accept, are
flight teams for the combat helicopters we have just received," he said.
Air force sources said the hired helicopter pilots are mainly Bulgarian. They
will work with three Russian-made MI-24 Hind helicopters recently acquired by
the government and two MI-8 carrier helicopters.
Witnesses last week spotted the MI-24 flying over Bassam, 40 kilometres from
Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan, and firing practice rounds.
According to intelligence sources, some of the mercenaries work for Sandline
International, a company which says on its Internet website it provides
"military services" and has operated in Sierra Leone in 1998 and in Papua New
Guinea in 1997.
The sources said its men were due to train Ivorian soldiers to use recently
acquired Russian-made weapons and vehicles, including heavy machine guns and
armoured personnel carriers.
The Ivory Coast crisis, the worst since independence in 1960, has claimed 400
lives. A ceasefire was signed in October but setbacks in peacetalks have
raised fears of more fighting. - Sapa-AFP
Abidjan
12 November 2002 11:27
French, South African and Bulgarian mercenaries have arrived in Ivory Coast
to help the army counter a rebellion that has split the west African country
in two, government sources admitted here on Monday.
They said the 50 odd mercenaries are mainly helicopter pilots who have been
hired to teach the army to handle new equipment it has acquired since the
start of the uprising on September 19.
"The mercenaries we have employed are instructors who have to teach the
Ivorian soldiers how to use new arms we have received for our war effort,"
said a source close to President Laurent Gbagbo's regime.
"We do not see them going into combat alongside our troops. They are meant to
help organise the military and to take care of certain security issues," he
added.
An analyst at the Institute of Security Studies in Pretoria said in late
October that about 40 mercenaries, some of them South Africans, had arrived
in Ivory Coast to help the army, and that 160 would soon follow.
But Gbagbo's aides at the time dismissed this as rumours.
A high-ranking officer in the Ivory Coast army on Monday confirmed the
mercenaries' presence in the country but was indignant at any suggestion that
they would fight alongside Ivorian soldiers.
"It would be humiliating for us. We will never allow the government to deploy
mercenaries to fight in this war. The only foreigners we will accept, are
flight teams for the combat helicopters we have just received," he said.
Air force sources said the hired helicopter pilots are mainly Bulgarian. They
will work with three Russian-made MI-24 Hind helicopters recently acquired by
the government and two MI-8 carrier helicopters.
Witnesses last week spotted the MI-24 flying over Bassam, 40 kilometres from
Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan, and firing practice rounds.
According to intelligence sources, some of the mercenaries work for Sandline
International, a company which says on its Internet website it provides
"military services" and has operated in Sierra Leone in 1998 and in Papua New
Guinea in 1997.
The sources said its men were due to train Ivorian soldiers to use recently
acquired Russian-made weapons and vehicles, including heavy machine guns and
armoured personnel carriers.
The Ivory Coast crisis, the worst since independence in 1960, has claimed 400
lives. A ceasefire was signed in October but setbacks in peacetalks have
raised fears of more fighting. - Sapa-AFP
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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.
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.
GunsssR4ever
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War has resumed with Mi-24's raids
News 24
Abidjan - Ivory Coast plunged back towards all-out conflict on Thursday after rebels in the West African country said that many people had been killed in helicopter gunship raids behind their lines.
"War has resumed," trumpeted state-owned daily Fraternite Matin in big red type.
French troops said they were on their way to investigate the reports of Wednesday's air attacks, which if confirmed would be the worst ceasefire violation since they started policing a truce six weeks ago in the world's top cocoa producer.
A commander of the Patriotic Movement of Ivory Coast (MPCI) rebels said he thought 40 people had been killed in attacks on Wednesday on Vavoua, Pelezi and Diafla, over 450km northwest of the main city of Abidjan.
"There were many dead and injured among the civilians," Sergeant Zacharias Kone said by satellite telephone from Vavoua. "I've got four dead bodies here with me."
There was no independent report of any casualties.
But a military source confirmed that the army's newly acquired Russian-built Mi-24 "Hind" gunships had struck rebel targets in response to earlier assaults on loyalist positions in the northwest.
"They are attacking us all the time. We can't carry on like this. I can confirm there were helicopter attacks," he said.
Benchmark March cocoa futures quickly climbed more than one percent when markets opened in London. Ivory Coast produces 40% of world output of the beans used to make chocolate and markets are extremely sensitive to news of fighting.
A French military spokesperson said soldiers were heading for the area where the attacks were reported and he expected more details by Thursday afternoon.
Rebel commander Kone said his fighters had no order to attack and would not go on the offensive unless they got one.
"Gbagbo has chosen war, but the MPCI is ready," said the rebels' website.
Hundreds of people were killed in four weeks of bloodshed after a failed coup on September 19. The ceasefire left rebels holding the largely Muslim north and President Laurent Gbagbo's forces the south, helping further sharpen ethnic bitterness.
The rebels say they are fighting to end years of discrimination against northerners and want Gbagbo to step aside to allow new elections.
The government insists the rebels disarm, accusing their leaders of being power-hungry army deserters in the pocket of neighbouring countries.
West African countries fear that a return to war in the country of more than 16 million could send chaos spilling across their borders and have been trying to patch together a deal to satisfy both sides.
Despite the trouble in Ivory Coast, mediators in Togo said on Wednesday the foes had made progress on their differences and might soon be in a position to sign an accord.
Opposition leader Alassane Ouattara, who was at the root of years of turbulence long before the latest crisis, flew into exile on Wednesday from his hideout at the French ambassador's residence. He had said security forces tried to kill him.
Courts ruled that the former prime minister could not stand in elections two years ago because of doubts over his nationality. His supporters said that was just a ploy to keep his Muslim north from power.
Although the government never accused Ouattara of supporting the rebels, many of Gbagbo's militants believed he had a hand in a rebellion dominated by his northern kinsmen.
Abidjan - Ivory Coast plunged back towards all-out conflict on Thursday after rebels in the West African country said that many people had been killed in helicopter gunship raids behind their lines.
"War has resumed," trumpeted state-owned daily Fraternite Matin in big red type.
French troops said they were on their way to investigate the reports of Wednesday's air attacks, which if confirmed would be the worst ceasefire violation since they started policing a truce six weeks ago in the world's top cocoa producer.
A commander of the Patriotic Movement of Ivory Coast (MPCI) rebels said he thought 40 people had been killed in attacks on Wednesday on Vavoua, Pelezi and Diafla, over 450km northwest of the main city of Abidjan.
"There were many dead and injured among the civilians," Sergeant Zacharias Kone said by satellite telephone from Vavoua. "I've got four dead bodies here with me."
There was no independent report of any casualties.
But a military source confirmed that the army's newly acquired Russian-built Mi-24 "Hind" gunships had struck rebel targets in response to earlier assaults on loyalist positions in the northwest.
"They are attacking us all the time. We can't carry on like this. I can confirm there were helicopter attacks," he said.
Benchmark March cocoa futures quickly climbed more than one percent when markets opened in London. Ivory Coast produces 40% of world output of the beans used to make chocolate and markets are extremely sensitive to news of fighting.
A French military spokesperson said soldiers were heading for the area where the attacks were reported and he expected more details by Thursday afternoon.
Rebel commander Kone said his fighters had no order to attack and would not go on the offensive unless they got one.
"Gbagbo has chosen war, but the MPCI is ready," said the rebels' website.
Hundreds of people were killed in four weeks of bloodshed after a failed coup on September 19. The ceasefire left rebels holding the largely Muslim north and President Laurent Gbagbo's forces the south, helping further sharpen ethnic bitterness.
The rebels say they are fighting to end years of discrimination against northerners and want Gbagbo to step aside to allow new elections.
The government insists the rebels disarm, accusing their leaders of being power-hungry army deserters in the pocket of neighbouring countries.
West African countries fear that a return to war in the country of more than 16 million could send chaos spilling across their borders and have been trying to patch together a deal to satisfy both sides.
Despite the trouble in Ivory Coast, mediators in Togo said on Wednesday the foes had made progress on their differences and might soon be in a position to sign an accord.
Opposition leader Alassane Ouattara, who was at the root of years of turbulence long before the latest crisis, flew into exile on Wednesday from his hideout at the French ambassador's residence. He had said security forces tried to kill him.
Courts ruled that the former prime minister could not stand in elections two years ago because of doubts over his nationality. His supporters said that was just a ploy to keep his Muslim north from power.
Although the government never accused Ouattara of supporting the rebels, many of Gbagbo's militants believed he had a hand in a rebellion dominated by his northern kinsmen.
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Gunship
The guys apparently got hit over Daloa, and had to make an emergency landing on the town's central plot. Everybody onboard is alright.
Also, the day before, a Cessna 402 of the Ivorian Air Force was hit by AK47 bullets while flying reconnaissance over Vavoua. They lost an engine, an one gear leg would not go down. The (local) pilot finally made it to Yamoussoukro where he crash landed safely... With both engines gone, we probably won't see that plane flying again in our lifetime...
Also, the day before, a Cessna 402 of the Ivorian Air Force was hit by AK47 bullets while flying reconnaissance over Vavoua. They lost an engine, an one gear leg would not go down. The (local) pilot finally made it to Yamoussoukro where he crash landed safely... With both engines gone, we probably won't see that plane flying again in our lifetime...
Last edited by Treetopflyer; 1st Dec 2002 at 08:35.
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Lo Treetopflyer,
It is a fact that a Mi-24 or maybe a Mi-8 / 17 went down and obviously with South Africans on board (as the media speculates). Fortunaletly no next - of - kin has been informed .. but you never know the delayed action. We just hope and pray this side.
Cheers - sad to hear about the two 402's going down this weekend
It is a fact that a Mi-24 or maybe a Mi-8 / 17 went down and obviously with South Africans on board (as the media speculates). Fortunaletly no next - of - kin has been informed .. but you never know the delayed action. We just hope and pray this side.
Cheers - sad to hear about the two 402's going down this weekend