Protesters killed in Ivory Coast
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, March 9 (UPI) -- At least four people were killed in the Ivory Coast during a march protesting the deaths of civilian demonstrators, witnesses said.
Military personnel loyal to incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo were accused of firing on demonstrators who were protesting last week's killing of seven female demonstrators, witnesses told the BBC.
The protesters were marching peacefully through Abidjan before soldiers opened fire, killing four, the report adds.
Gbagbo this week said he nationalized the country's cocoa production in an effort to control the economic lifeline of the country.
The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution that recognized Alassane Ouattara as the winner of a November presidential election meant to unite a country divided by civil war.
Gbagbo refused to step down and accuses U.N. peacekeepers of supporting his rival. The United Nations and others warn the conflict there is close to civil war.
Gbagbo supporters were accused of killing seven women last week who were marching in support of Ouattara. London expressed deep concern over the level of violence and Washington released a travel advisory warning of the conflict.
The U.N. refugee agency estimates at least 50,000 people fled to Liberia since the conflict began.
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