Gunship
11th Oct 2002, 11:12
Nigeria withdraws from I-Coast
ABUJA - Nigeria has withdrawn three fighter jet it sent to troubled Ivory
Coast after the Ivorian government refused a west African-brokered ceasefire
deal. "They came back...," Group Captain Ibrahim Kure said. "It was a
decision by the government."
Three Nigerian Alpha Jet ground attack fighters and around 30 airforce
support personnel were deployed on September 25 to Abidjan, six days after a
bloody army mutiny split Ivory Coast into warring pro-government and rebel
camps. But the planes were withdrawn after Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo
snubbed attempts by west African countries, including Nigeria, to mediate a
ceasefire between the two sides. With their removal, the chances that a west
African peacekeeping force will be deployed to act as a buffer between the
troops loyal to Gbagbo and the rebels appear to have receded.
No political officials were available for comment on the redeployment, but
observers in Lagos and Ivory Coast believe the west African mediators are
angry at the Ivorian government's failure to endorse the ceasefire. The
planes were sent under a bilateral agreement between Ivory Coast and Nigeria
but officials of the Economic Community of West African States said they
could have formed the vanguard of a regional peacekeeping force.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Sule Lamido said last week that their primary role
was to enhance the security of the large Nigerian expatriate population in
Ivory Coast.
AFP
10 October 2002
ABUJA - Nigeria has withdrawn three fighter jet it sent to troubled Ivory
Coast after the Ivorian government refused a west African-brokered ceasefire
deal. "They came back...," Group Captain Ibrahim Kure said. "It was a
decision by the government."
Three Nigerian Alpha Jet ground attack fighters and around 30 airforce
support personnel were deployed on September 25 to Abidjan, six days after a
bloody army mutiny split Ivory Coast into warring pro-government and rebel
camps. But the planes were withdrawn after Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo
snubbed attempts by west African countries, including Nigeria, to mediate a
ceasefire between the two sides. With their removal, the chances that a west
African peacekeeping force will be deployed to act as a buffer between the
troops loyal to Gbagbo and the rebels appear to have receded.
No political officials were available for comment on the redeployment, but
observers in Lagos and Ivory Coast believe the west African mediators are
angry at the Ivorian government's failure to endorse the ceasefire. The
planes were sent under a bilateral agreement between Ivory Coast and Nigeria
but officials of the Economic Community of West African States said they
could have formed the vanguard of a regional peacekeeping force.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Sule Lamido said last week that their primary role
was to enhance the security of the large Nigerian expatriate population in
Ivory Coast.
AFP
10 October 2002