Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Gbagbo's forces attack Ouattara's Ivory Coast base
|
Edition:
U.S.
Article
Comments (0)
Slideshow
Video
Full Focus
Photos of the week
Our top photos from the past week. Full Article
Follow Reuters
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
YouTube
Read
Police seek suspect in blast near Santa Monica synagogue
09 Apr 2011
Gaza rocket threat forces fans from two games in Israel
09 Apr 2011
Budget deal avoids shutdown but fight ahead
|
09 Apr 2011
DATOS-Ultimas encuestas dicen Humala y Fujimori a balotaje PerĂº
08 Apr 2011
Increased NATO strikes help rebels beat Misrata assault
|
09 Apr 2011
Discussed
126
Reid says Republicans want shutdown to close clinics
123
U.S. to reach debt limit by May 16: Geithner
113
Obama, Congress struggle to find budget deal
Watched
All hail Princess Catherine doll
Fri, Apr 8 2011
"Hangover II" trailer pulled; Paris sued
Wed, Apr 6 2011
Wall St. dominated by oil swing
Fri, Apr 8 2011
Gbagbo's forces attack Ouattara's Ivory Coast base
Tweet
Share this
By Ange Aboa
ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have stepped up a counter-attack on presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara by firing on his hotel headquarters in Abidjan.
Rebel forces seeking to install...
Email
Print
Related News
Ouattara's forces not guilty of I.Coast atrocities: U.N. envoy
Sat, Apr 9 2011
Abidjan empties as Ivorians seek safety
Sat, Apr 9 2011
Analysis & Opinion
Ivory Coast: so who is the incumbent now?
Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, a deterrent against India, but also United States ?
Related Topics
World »
United Nations »
Related Video
Ouattara forces prepare to fight on
1:47am EDT
Ouattara's forces on the move in Abidjan
Foreigners flee I.Coast fighting
Journalists evacuated from Ivory Coast hotel
1 / 26
French soldiers stand in the port of Abidjan April 9, 2011.
Credit: Reuters/Luc Gnago
By Ange Aboa
ABIDJAN |
Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:43am EDT
ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have stepped up a counter-attack on presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara by firing on his hotel headquarters in Abidjan.
Rebel forces seeking to install Ouattara, who won an election last November according to results certified by the United Nations, swept from the north to the economic capital Abidjan almost unopposed more than a week ago.
But despite a fierce rebel onslaught, Gbagbo's soldiers have held onto swathes of the city, and are now growing bolder.
A U.N. spokesman in Abidjan said Saturday's attack on the Golf Hotel, which Ouattara has made his base since the election, involved heavy weapons that appeared to have been fired from Gbagbo's heavily defended residence.
"This was not a fight, but a direct attack by Gbagbo's forces, who fired RPGs and mortar rounds, from positions near Gbagbo's residence, at the Golf Hotel," said U.N. spokesman Hamadoun Toure.
He said one U.N. peacekeeper had been hurt, and that U.N. forces had responded by firing on those positions.
Mariam Konate, a resident of the area near the hotel, said: "There was fierce fighting with heavy weapons and our houses shook, even some windows shattered. We're all locked in our homes, but things quietened down about an hour ago."
PORTS SECURED
French soldiers supporting the U.N. mission in Ivory Coast and backing Ouattara's claim to the presidency secured Abidjan's port Saturday, but said the central neighborhoods of Cocody and Plateau were still being fought over.
"They (Gbagbo's forces) won some positions overnight that they lost again this morning," said Frederick Daguillon, spokesman for the French force in Ivory Coast, Licorne. He said Gbagbo's fighters "have become more confident."
French helicopters clashed with Gbagbo's defenders early on Saturday during a failed attempt to rescue diplomatic staff trapped by the fighting in Cocody. British and other diplomats were later evacuated, a British Foreign Office spokesman said.
The BBC said bullets had hit the British embassy and a mortar round had landed in the garden.
Reuters witnesses said a fragile calm had returned to many parts of the city Saturday, allowing shell-shocked residents to leave their homes in search of food and water amid the debris of war, or to try to escape to safer areas.
"Yesterday, militiamen came to our house, we were threatened," said Jean Kima, a Burkinabe fleeing with his family in the northern district of Gesco. "The militia could come back at any moment and perhaps the worst will happen next time."
Gbagbo is believed to be isolated in the bunker under his residence in Cocody, where he has sought refuge from a concerted assault by Ouattara's troops while his elite presidential guard and militiamen do battle.
1
2
Next
World
United Nations
Tweet this
Share this
Link this
Digg this
Email
Reprints
We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language, all capital letters or appear to be spam, and we review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters.
Comments (0)
Be the first to comment on reuters.com.
Add yours using the box above.
Social Stream (What's this?)
© Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters
Editorial Editions:
Africa
Arabic
Argentina
Brazil
Canada
China
France
Germany
India
Italy
Japan
Latin America
Mexico
Russia
Spain
United Kingdom
United States
Reuters
Contact Us
Advertise With Us
Help
Journalism Handbook
Archive
Site Index
Video Index
Reader Feedback
Mobile
Newsletters
RSS
Podcasts
Widgets
Your View
Analyst Research
Thomson Reuters
Copyright
Disclaimer
Privacy
Professional Products
Professional Products Support
Financial Products
About Thomson Reuters
Careers
Online Products
Acquisitions Monthly
Buyouts
Venture Capital Journal
International Financing Review
Project Finance International
PEhub.com
PE Week
FindLaw
Super Lawyers Attorney Rating Service
Reuters on Facebook
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.
Other News on Sunday, 10 April 2011 Peru ruling party backs ex-banker in election race
|
Increased NATO strikes help rebels beat Misrata assault
|
Army ready to use force to clear Cairo square
|
Syrian forces fire at mourners, U.N. greatly disturbed
|
Gbagbo's forces attack Ouattara's Ivory Coast base
|
Barak says Israel open to Gaza ceasefire with Hamas
|
Plaque row mars Polish commemoration of plane crash
|
Japan ready to stop pumping radioactive water into sea
|
Leftist may win Peru vote, but runoff likely
|
Lawsuits to strengthen Net traffic rules possible
|
News of the World faces rush of phone hack claims
|
Prolific American film director Sidney Lumet dies
|
Charlie Sheen hits New York
Elizabeth Taylor's jewels, art, fashion to be auctioned
|
Minnesota Duluth topples Michigan in overtime, captures national hockey title
Statuesque Tim Tebow gets roar from crowd during spring game
Mavs' coach Carlisle tries to keep Jason Terry's tirade within team
MU extends Premier League lead to 10 points with win vs. Fulham
Affordable News, Weather and Content for Websites, Apps and Digital Signage | AHN Feed Syndicate
Justin Masterson pitches Tribe to longest win streak in three years
Champions Nick Diaz and Gilbert Melendez dominate in Strikeforce
Will Power on pole in Alabama
Flyers win Atlantic Division with victory over Islanders
John Salmons off hook as Bucks edge Cavs; guard nets 32 in win
Matt Kenseth scores NASCAR win at Texas
Israel and Hamas look to end Gaza flare-up
|
Japanese voters may further weaken PM over nuclear crisis
|
Mubarak says he will fight lies about assets
|
Saudi unemployed graduates protest to demand jobs
|
French probe espionage at defense firm unit: report
|
The Judds let the secrets fly in TV documentary
|
Somali students fleeing from Yemen unrest
Internal Hamas Rift Snags Efforts to End Israeli-Gaza Fighting
Toddler mistakenly served alcohol at Michigan Applebee's
Four killed in blast at fireworks storage depot
After 30 years of cold diplomatic relations, Egypt and Iran talk about a thaw
Two Nevada teens die in scuba diving accident off California
Al-Shabaab beheads four in southern Somalia
Chandler, Hieron advance to finals of Bellator Welterweight, Lightweight tournaments
Sebastian Vettel is 2-for-2 after winning in Malaysia
Somali government extends ultimatum for Al-Shabaab fighters to surrender
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights