Ivory Coast: Thw Battle for Abidjan has Begun

Ivory Coast: French troops in Abidjan The situation seems to be in favor of the Ouattara camp. \ President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, is meeting, on this Friday, April 1, with Prime Minister Francois Fillon, the foreign minister Alain Juppé and Defense minister Gerard Longuet, to be briefed and make decisions related to the situation in Ivory Coast. Fighters loyal to Alassane Ouattara took control of the cocoa-exporting port city of San Pedro, and seized the administrative capital of Yamoussoukro. Ouattara's forces appear to be consolidating their gains as they move toward the commercial capital Abidjan where the French soldiers are deployed. T

• Tanks and at least one helicopter would follow the rioters in some residential areas to prevent looting and violence, and protect vulnerable civilians over the coming days.


• The Defense Ministry and the Embassy of France have mapped the positions of both camps, and Prime Minister Soro said, on Thursday, that the forces of the Ivorian president internationally recognized are 100 kilometers northeast from Abidjan, and if Mr. Gbagbo doesn't step down, Abidjan may be under attack.

He ensured that several of Gbabo’s Generals, including his chief of staff, had defected, and will make public statements.

• There are also defections by groups in the police, the gendarmerie and the army, the Prime Minister Soro added.


• Alassane Ouattara called for the "physical integrity" of his rival to be preserved if he would step down and ovoid a bloody slaughter to the innocent citizens, Ally Coulibaly, Ambassador of Ivory Coast in France has reported.

Earlier this morning, the battle of Abidjan has begun, and the latest stronghold position of Gbabo might fall in the hands of Alassane Ouattara’s troops and the international community fears again another slaughter…

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