IVORY COAST: Masses of young supporters of incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo arrive in Abidjan to support his military as they battle rival forces from presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara
Record ID:
181878
IVORY COAST: Masses of young supporters of incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo arrive in Abidjan to support his military as they battle rival forces from presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara
- Title: IVORY COAST: Masses of young supporters of incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo arrive in Abidjan to support his military as they battle rival forces from presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara
- Date: 3rd April 2011
- Summary: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (APRIL 2, 2011) (REUTERS) SMOKE RISING FROM BUILDING MORE SMOKE BOATS FULL OF SUPPORTERS OF IVORY COAST INCUMBENT PRESIDENT LAURENT GBAGBO ARRIVING ON THE RIVER BACK OF BOAT NEARING RIVER BANK ANOTHER BOAT FULL OF GBAGBO SUPPORTERS MASS OF GBAGBO SUPPORTERS MARCHING INTO THE CITY ON CHARLES DE GAULLE BRIDGE MORE OF GBAGBO SUPPORTERS ON THE BRIDGE BOAT ON THE RIVER PRO-GBAGBO FORCES OF DEFENCE AND SECURITY (FDS) TANK ON THE ROAD UNDER BRIDGE BUILDINGS IN CITY CENTRE WITH SMOKE RISING MORE OF SMOKE RISING IN THE CITY
- Embargoed: 18th April 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Cote d'Ivoire
- Country: Ivory Coast
- Topics: War / Fighting,Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA473XGE4YF48VU0EFAS36WDRZI
- Story Text: Hundreds of "young patriots," the youth firebrand arm of incumbent Laurent Gbagbo's party, headed towards the presidency on Saturday (April 2) prepared to fight for their leader against the advancing army of his rival Alassane Ouattara.
They crossed the bridge on foot and sailed across the river by boat after a call on pro-Gbagbo state television to mass towards the presidency to protect Gbagbo and his republic.
It is unclear how many of Gbagbo's fanatical youth supporters really are willing to be killed to defend his disputed claim to the presidency, after a U.N.-certified election his rival is internationally recognised to have won.
But there is no doubt that they had been positioned over the last month as a weapon of last resort in a violent power struggle with rival Alassane Ouattara that has tipped Ivory Coast back into all out war.
Two weeks ago the young patriots were offered weapons, AK-47, to help defend their country.
Gbagbo's use of volatile youths and students has caused mayhem in the past. In 2004, when he fell out with the French peacekeeping mission, thousands of them rampaged through the streets attacking French property, forcing 8,000 to evacuate.
His youths, some armed with AK-47s, sticks or machetes, have set up roadblocks all over Abidjan, attacked U.N. staff and killed some West African immigrants, says Human Rights Watch.
The "Young Patriots" leader, Charles Ble Goude has in the past denied inciting violence and said Ouattara's "rebellion" against Gbagbo had forced him to enlist the youth.
Analysts say they are a weapon even Gbagbo can't control.
Soldiers backing Alassane Ouattara met stiff resistance from incumbent Laurent Gbagbo's fighters in Ivory Coast's main city of Abidjan on Saturday as the two sides fought for control of the West African country.
There was fighting around the Presidential Palace, state broadcaster RTI and military bases between forces loyal to the two presidential rivals, and a Reuters reporter heard gunfire and explosions from heavy shelling near the palace throughout the morning.
In a sign of how bloody the conflict has become, the International Committee of the Red Cross said at least 800 people were killed in intercommunal violence in the western Ivorian town of Duekoue this week.
That would bring the confirmed death toll from violence since the presidential election, in which Ouattara was the internationally recognised winner, to 1,300 people. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None