IVORY COAST: Gunfire heard in Abidjan

Record ID: 182072

  • Title: IVORY COAST: Gunfire heard in Abidjan
  • Date: 17th December 2010
  • Summary: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (DECEMBER 16, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF STREET SCENES/PLUME OF SMOKE COMING RISING EMPTY STREET WITH SOUND OF GUNFIRE VARIOUS OF PRO OUATTARA SUPPORTERS RUNNING
  • Embargoed: 1st January 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Cote d'Ivoire
  • Country: Ivory Coast
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVABYT0NX4F5H2AQT35K70EVGGNR
  • Story Text: Violence erupted in Ivory Coast's main city on Thursday (December 16) ahead of a planned march by supporters of presidential claimant, Alassane Ouattara.
    A thick plume of black smoke could be seen rising in the streets of Abidjan and sustained machine gun and rifle fire were heard in the city earlier on Thursday. It was not clear where it was coming from.
    The internationally-endorsed winner of a disputed presidential poll, Ouattara, had called for marches to try to seize the state broadcaster and government buildings, which are currently controlled by soldiers loyal to incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo.
    Calls for protests by Ouattara have been met by stern warnings from Gbagbo supporters and are raising the stakes in the dispute over who should rule the world's top cocoa producer, still seeking to resolve a crisis sparked by a 2002-3 war.
    Election commission results showed Ouattara won last month's election. But the pro-Gbagbo Constitutional Council scrapped nearly half a million votes in Ouattara bastions to hand victory to Gbagbo on grounds of fraud, causing international outrage.
    Leaders around the world have recognised Ouattara as president of Ivory Coast, but Gbagbo remains in control of the military, state television and radio and government buildings.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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