IVORY COAST: Troops deploy around U.N.-guarded hotel being used as base by Presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara
Record ID:
181976
IVORY COAST: Troops deploy around U.N.-guarded hotel being used as base by Presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara
- Title: IVORY COAST: Troops deploy around U.N.-guarded hotel being used as base by Presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara
- Date: 14th December 2010
- Summary: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (DECEMBER, 13 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF IVORY COAST ARMY SOLDIERS SEATED IN A PICK-UP VANS HEADED TO THE GULF HOTEL, BEING USED AS A BASE BY RESIDENTIAL CLAIMANT ALASSANE OUATTARA MORE OF VANS CARRYING SOLDIERS BEING DRIVEN THROUGH STREET ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF UNOCI (UNITED NATIONS OPERATION IN IVORY COAST) SOLDIERS BACKED WITH ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIERS GUARDING HOTEL BASE (2 SHOTS) ABIDJAN, IVORY-COAST (DECEMBER, 13 2010) (REUTERS) UNOCI SOLDIERS SEATED IN BACK OF UN PICK UP VAN, PATROLLING AREA (SOUNDBITE) (French) SAMUEL DOUGO, A TEACHER, SAYING: ''This situation is very sad, especially for our country which, for 10 years has been plunged into a crisis situation. We thought that with these elections we would left this crisis behind, but unfortunately it seems to me that we have gone deeper into it -- with this two-headed government. The two candidates from the last round (of voting) have proclaimed themselves President and this is really difficult for the rest of us." VARIOUS RESIDENTS AND MERCHANTS IN STREET VARIOUS OF STUDENTS WALKING ALONG ROAD (2 SHOTS)
- Embargoed: 29th December 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Cote d'Ivoire
- Country: Ivory Coast
- Topics: International Relations,Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA9VTR7LYSLWKPY8T7O4XDD271M
- Story Text: Around 20 Ivorian troops armed with machine guns and grenade launchers deployed on Monday (December 13) close to the UN-guarded hotel in Abidjan being used as a base by presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara, a Reuters reporter saw.
The move comes after a two-week power struggle between Ouattara and incumbent Laurent Gbagbo, who both claim to have won a Nov. 28 election that was meant to reunite the West African nation after a 2002-3 civil war.
Ouattara was declared the winner of the poll by the electoral commission and he has been recognised as the victor by the U.N. Security Council and almost all world leaders.
But the country's pro-Gbagbo Constitutional Council declared Gbagbo the winner, saying the vote outcome had been rigged.
There was no immediate comment on the deployment from the military, which backs Gbagbo.
A Ouattara spokesman said government troops had attempted earlier to set up a checkpoint in a street near the Golf Hotel but that pro-Ouattara rebel troops had prevented them from doing so and forced them to move away.
In the streets of Abidjan, local residents voiced their concern over the deadlock.
''This situation is very sad, especially for our country which, for 10 years has been plunged into a crisis situation. We thought that with these elections we would left this crisis behind, but unfortunately it seems to me that we have gone deeper into it -- with this two-headed government. The two candidates from the last round (of voting) have proclaimed themselves president and this is really difficult for the rest of us," a teacher, Samuel Dougo, told Reuters. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None