Rebels Capture 2 Ivory Coast Towns
VOA News March 29, 2011
Fighters who back Ivory Coast's internationally-recognized president, Alassane Ouattara, said they have seized two towns, while fighting continued for control of a third.
Pro-Ouattara rebels launched a major offensive on Monday to capture the three towns, long held by forces loyal to incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo.
Witnesses said the rebels seized the eastern town of Bondoukou on Monday and the west-central town of Daloa overnight.
Fighting continued Tuesday in the western town of Duekoue. There had been conflicting reports about whether Duekoue had fallen to the rebels. The town is located at strategically important crossroads.
Meanwhile, the U.N. mission in Ivory Coast has accused pro-Gbagbo forces of opening fire on civilians Monday in the main city of Abidjan and killing 10 of them. There was no immediate comment from the Gbagbo government.
Gbagbo has defied international calls to cede power to Ouattara, who the United Nations and African Union recognize as the winner of the November presidential election.
The election was meant to reunite Ivory Coast, nearly a decade after a brief civil war that left it split into rebel and government-controlled areas.
The pro-Ouattara rebels have been making gains in recent weeks, seizing at least five western towns from pro-Gbagbo troops.
The United Nations says at least 462 people have been killed in violence since the crisis began in December.
African Union-led efforts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis have failed so far.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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