Abidjan - Waving knives and machetes, pro-government mobs extended their siege of France's main military base in Ivory Coast for a second day on Tuesday - demanding that French peacekeepers withdraw from the former French colony to allow government forces to resume attacks on rebels.
Hundreds of demonstrators - better armed on Tuesday, after carrying only rocks and planks on Monday - lit bonfires in the streets and heaved stones over barracks walls bristling with concertina wire.
For a second day, French soldiers fired tear gas and stun grenades into the crowd, which started gathering on Monday at the base in Ivory Coast's commercial capital, Abidjan.
Continues Below ↓
Pro-government militias also delivered an ultimatum on Tuesday to the French: French peacekeepers had until 8pm on Tuesday to withdraw from the West African nation's ceasefire lines.
If not, militia leaders and youth groups said, their fighters would open attacks on the estimated 16 000 French civilians and 4 000 French troops living in Ivory Coast.
"All that is French will be attacked," pledged Narcisse N'Depo, a youth leader outside the French military base.
French diplomats refused immediate comment on the threat, and it was unclear how big a following the militias had, to carry out the ultimatum.
Tensions come with a nine-month civil war here officially over, since July. However, a power-sharing and peace deal between rebels and government has stalled for months, and Ivory Coast remains split between rebel-held north and government-held south.
Government-allied militias, youth groups and many in the armed forces themselves increasingly are demanding that French peacekeepers, joined by about 1 000 West African troops, get out of the way to allow fighting to resume.
West African leaders say renewed war here would destabilize the region as surrounding nations try to pull out of civil wars of their own.
In an interview published on Tuesday in France's Le Figaro daily, President Laurent Gbagbo said of his supporters, "I can understand why they are fed up."
"The problem is that the French are between them and the rebels and they want to finish with the war," Gbagbo told Le Figaro.
However, Gbagbo said of the French peacekeeping force: "I am the one who asked the Licorne troops to be here and I have not changed my mind." - Sapa-AP
|
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Digg
Delicious
Newsvine
Facebook
muti
Twitter
