IVORY COAST: Security forces kill at least six women protesting in support of presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara

Record ID: 181952

  • Title: IVORY COAST: Security forces kill at least six women protesting in support of presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara
  • Date: 4th March 2011
  • Summary: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (MARCH 3, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PRO-OUATTARA SUPPORTERS BURNING TYRES AND FURNITURE AT ROADBLOCK (4 SHOTS) (SOUNDBITE) (French) OUATTARA SUPPORTER SAYING: "Our mothers went out to march peacefully with their hands empty [of weapons]. Then we saw Gbagbo's tanks that came and opened fire on the old women, killing at least six on the spot, seven dead in all after another died in the car. We are ready. As we don't have the means to defend ourselves we managed to prepare some bombs and we are waiting for Gbagbo's elements and this time we will finish with them." PRO-OUATTARA SUPPORTERS, ONE MAN HOLDING MACHETE VARIOUS OF ROAD BLOCK VARIOUS OF PRO-OUATTARA SUPPORTERS SHOWING VICTIMS' BELONGINGS SCATTERED ON THE GROUND (SOUNDBITE) (Bambara) WOMAN PRO-OUATTARA PROTESTER, SAYING: "We came for the meeting, there were no men amongs us and they came and fired at us." VARIOUS OF PRO-OUATTARA SUPPORTERS CHANTING IN FRENCH "Gbagbo, assassin!" (SOUNDBITE) (French ) PRO-OUATTARA SUPPORTER, SAYING: '' Since the [AU] panel it has been months and now they kill our old women, we are tired, we don't have nothing to eat because of ADO [Ouattara nick name], we support him but if he can't make it, he must quit.'' VARIOUS OF PRO-OUATTARA SUPPORTERS, WAVING MACHETE, CHANTING BY ROAD BLOCK (4 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 19th March 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Cote d'Ivoire
  • Country: Ivory Coast
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA7W7IO7A7N6DZJUXARO00EFR05
  • Story Text: Ivorian security forces shot dead seven women protestors on Thursday (March 3) and the United Nations said at least 365 people had died in violence since disputed elections that have taken the country to the brink of civil war.
    Many others were wounded in the attack on the all-women demonstration against incumbent Laurent Gbagbo in the northern Abidjan suburb of Abobo, two witnesses and a security source said.
    The incident took place as women gathered at the Anador roundabout in Abobo for a planned march to call on Gbagbo to step down, an eye witness said.
    "Our mothers went out to march peacefully with their hands empty [of weapons]. Then we saw Gbagbo's tanks that came and opened fire on the old women, killing at least six on the spot, seven dead in all after another died in the car. We are ready. As we don't have the means to defend ourselves we managed to prepare some bombs and we are waiting for Gbagbo's elements and this time we will finish with them."
    "We came for the meeting, there were no men amongs us and they came and fired at us," said a woman.
    There was no official comment on the incident. A military source confirmed the shooting but said it had been an accident.
    The power struggle between presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara and Gbagbo, who has rejected widespread calls to stand down after a Nov. 28 election, could push Ivory Coast back into civil war.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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