Ivory Coast Wakes to Sound of Artillery
The second day of 2006 began with the sound of gunfire and residents of the Riviera district in Abidjan shouting in confusion.
Before six in the morning Monday, artillery fire started to ring out from the Akuedo military camp, just a few kilometers away from the U.S. Embassy.
There was gunfire reported at another nearby camp, as well as in the residential area of Cocody, where President Laurent Gbagbo lives.
Tanks and armored vehicles then rolled through the city, and the firefights stopped. Several parts of the city were blocked off.
Several hours later, the head of the Ivory Coast army, Philippe Mangou, appeared on state television, saying everything was under control.
He said the assailants were unknown but that they were wearing civilian clothing. Because of this, he advised people to stay indoors while heavy patrols take place. He also wished Ivorians a happy new year, and he said he hoped 2006 would be one of peace.
Some students put up barricades, helping soldiers search vehicles.
The unrest comes just several days after a new national unity government was formed to disarm northern rebels and prepare elections before the end of October. Under the latest United Nations resolution, Mr. Gbagbo's term of office was extended one year.
Ivory Coast has been divided in two since soldiers of northern origin started an insurgency in September 2002 asking for equal rights for northerners in the world's leading cocoa producer. U.N and French troops control a buffer zone between rebels and the army.
