AFRICA/CÔTE D' IVOIRE - 4 April decision on presence of international peacekeepers in Côte d'Ivoire. Demonstrations for and against withdrawal of French and UN troops. Increasing threat of possible ethnic war

Monday, 21 March 2005

Abidjan (Fides Service) - “This is just another example of how the country is divided” a local Church source told Fides with regard to demonstrations pending a decision with regard to the presence of international peace keeping missions in Côte d'Ivoire. The decision should be taken on 4 April and it concerns the withdrawal or confirmation 4,000 peace keepers sent by France mission and about 10,000 troops of the UN peace keeping mission ONUCI. Over the past few days demonstrations calling for the withdrawal of the French peace keepers were staged in Abidjan by supporters of President Laurent Gbagbo. Instead in Bouaké, main town of the north Côte d'Ivoire under control of the New Forces rebels, demonstrators called on France to keep its troops in the country.
“There is no communication between the parties. Whatever the President says, the opposition declares the exact opposite and vice versa” the source told Fides. “Room for dialogue is reduced to a minimum. No wonder opinions are radically different with regard to the French troops”.
Since 2002, when the country was divided in two with the north east in the hands of New Forces rebels and the south under the government, the Ivorian crisis has threatened to explode into widespread conflict. Although the presence of the UN and French peacekeepers has not prevented violence it has kept to a minimum. “If the troops are withdrawn the country would be in danger of falling into civil war, indeed, even worse ethnic war” the sources told Fides. “There were reports over the past weeks that armed groups were systematically killing people of a different ethnic group. Eyewitnesses report that Gueré militia carried out a massacre of non Guere civilians, mostly women. We are on the brink of civil war fed on hatred accumulated over recent years.
“The international community must assume its responsibilities and keep watch to prevent yet another African tragedy” Fides sources concluded. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 21/3/2005 righe 31 parole 375)


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