Duekoue (Fides Service)- “Tension was in the air and people feared a new outbreak of fighting between pro-government militia and New Forces rebels” said a missionary source Duekoue, west Côte d'Ivoire where started this morning between the New Forces rebel group which controls the are since 2002, and militia close to Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo.
According to Reuters the fighting was in Logorale, 55 km from Duekoue, where pro-government militia attacked a rebel position. Fighting stopped and no casualties were reported. “We have no news from the area” the sources told Fides. “But we can confirm that there had been tension in the air for days and people feared a new outbreak of violence and in fact the few who possess a car hid it fearing the rebels would confiscate it claiming it was necessary for war”.
The pro-government militia which started the fighting was Front for the Liberation of the Great West FLGW which has its main base at Guiglo, close to the dividing line between the army controlled area and the rebel controlled zone. The leader of FLGO is Mao Glofei, who is a member of the central committee of the Party of President Gbagbo.
“West Côte d'Ivoire is in the grip of anarchy, fomented by ethnic conflict involving Liberian refugees who settled here some time ago” say Fides sources.
The extreme west of Côte d'Ivoire bordering on Liberia, is a vital economic centre which provides 40% of the country’s GDP thanks to its cacao, coffee and timber.
In Liberia a Disarmament Demobilisation and Rehabilitation programme DDR for former rebels was started a few months ago. However, paradoxically far from stopping it, this has so far encouraged a consistent flow of arms to Côte d'Ivoire. The United Nations estimates that since the beginning of the Liberian DDR an average of one weapon has been consigned for every two demobilised combatants and at this point it is easy to see where the arms end up. The result it that at the moment the far-west in Côte d'Ivoire is in the hands of paramilitary who control the border region - illegally exploiting resources - when it should be done by the UN missions in Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire together. (L.M.) )(Agenzia Fides 28/2/2005 righe 36 parole 438)