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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs |
COTE D'IVOIRE: 12 killed in gun battles with soldiers in Abidjan
ABIDJAN, 12 December 2003 (IRIN) - Twelve gunmen, wearing black T-shirts, were killed in Abidjan on Thursday night in a gun battle that followed an attack on the main military barracks, national television reported on Friday morning.
Another five gunmen were believed to have been killed in a separate attack on a transmission station for the government RTI television in the western Abidjan suburb of Abobo, military sources told IRIN.
All the dead men had the words "Brigade Nindja" written on their black T-shirts, the military sources said.
"Brigade Nindja" is the name of one of the pro-government militias in Abidjan, who were allegedly trained and armed by the government after mutinous soldiers attempted to stage a coup d'etat on 19 September.
A senior Ivorian army officer, who did not want to be named, said an investigation had been launched. It is suspected, he added, that the attacks were an infiltration by the rebellious soldiers who, since the coup attempt, have remained in control of the north of the country.
"The bodies will be examined one by one to determine who these people are. It is very strange and unlikely that pro-government militias could attack an army barracks," the officer told IRIN on Friday morning.
The gunmen, the officer said, drove to the barracks at Akouedo in four-wheel drive cars and minivans at about the same time that shooting started in Abobo.
When they came under attack from government soldiers inside the barracks, the gunmen retreated towards the plush Cocody suburb. They were killed in fighting that continued around 'Carrefour de la Mort' (Death Crossing) road junction near the main RTI broadcasting house, the officer said.
State Radio reported Jean-Paul Dahily, director of the state broadcaster, as confirming that gunmen attacked the television station but were rebuffed and killed by security forces.
According to the national television, a third incident also took place in Anyama, another middle-class suburb next to Abobo. All three incidents took place after midnight.
"They are some who still don't know [peace], and whatever they are looking for, sooner or later, they will get it", Army Chief of Staff, General Mathias Doue, told RTI as he and the interior, Rene Amani, went to the scene near the RTI building.
"We are engaged on the road to peace, and these are the last jolts", former defense minister, Bertin Kadet, who was also on the scene said.
Cote d'Ivoire has experienced political turmoil since the 2002 coup attempt. The rebels signed a peace agreement in France in January and joined a government of national unity. In September, they however, pulled out of the government retreating back to their northern headquarters of Bouake.
Restive government soldiers demanding that the government allows them to fight the rebels forced their way onto the national television on 30 November to demand the dismissal of their commanders, claiming the commanders had mishandled the situation.
Over the last two weeks, the rebels have indicated they may be willing to return to Abidjan, sending delegations this week to meet both loyalist military officers and senior government figures to discuss disarmament of their fighters.
Theme(s): (IRIN) Conflict
[ENDS]
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