Anti-govt. clashes erupt in I. Coast
Tue Feb 8, 2011 1:59AM
A file photo of a protest in Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo have clashed with supporters of rival presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara in the capital, Abidjan.
The clashes broke out in the north of Abidjan on Monday when security forces confronted Ouattara supporters who were protesting against alleged abuses by government forces, AFP reported.
The demonstrators reportedly ransacked two police stations before reinforcements were called in.
The Ivory Coast plunged into crisis after its presidential election in November.
The disputed poll led to a political standoff and bloody clashes between loyalists to incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo and supporters of his rival, Alassane Ouattara, with Western powers and African states pronouncing Ouattara the winner.
Both the de facto president and the opposition leader have claimed victory and formed their respective governments after the election.
Post-election violence has killed 271 people since mid-December, according to the United Nations.
The world body has said that the death toll could be much higher than estimated with reports of at least two mass graves. However, investigators have been blocked from accessing the sites by masked pro-Gbagbo gunmen.
Diplomats and security sources say many of the dead are victims of death squads operating at night in neighborhoods where Ouattara is popular. The UN also says hundreds more have been kidnapped by Gbagbo's forces.
GHN/MRS/MGH
The demonstrators reportedly ransacked two police stations before reinforcements were called in.
The Ivory Coast plunged into crisis after its presidential election in November.
The disputed poll led to a political standoff and bloody clashes between loyalists to incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo and supporters of his rival, Alassane Ouattara, with Western powers and African states pronouncing Ouattara the winner.
Both the de facto president and the opposition leader have claimed victory and formed their respective governments after the election.
Post-election violence has killed 271 people since mid-December, according to the United Nations.
The world body has said that the death toll could be much higher than estimated with reports of at least two mass graves. However, investigators have been blocked from accessing the sites by masked pro-Gbagbo gunmen.
Diplomats and security sources say many of the dead are victims of death squads operating at night in neighborhoods where Ouattara is popular. The UN also says hundreds more have been kidnapped by Gbagbo's forces.
GHN/MRS/MGH
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