COTE D'IVOIRE 21/6/2004 15:57 REBEL FACTIONS CLASH IN NORTH, SHOOTING IN KORHOGO AND BOUAKà General, Standard âIt was a night of terror, with intensive fighting, machine-gun and gun fire until early this morningâ. This is how a MISNA source described the past hours in Korhogo, in the northern Ivory Coast, where violent clashes broke out last night between two rival factions of the rebellion that since September 2002 controls the entire central-north of the nation. âThis morning at around 10:00a.m. (local time) the situation returned to normal, but the city remains paralysed, with schools and stores closed and deserted streetsâ, added the source, contacted over the phone. Violence was reported also in BouakÃ, a city around 350km north of the commercial capital Abidjan and stronghold of the rebellion. A local source of the MISNA referred that two rival groups clashes also today in the northern neighbourhoods of Bouakà and in the area of the hospital, location of the headquarters of the New Forces, the coalition of rebel groups that two years ago rose against Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo and still in arms despite the peace accords signed in January 2003. âIt is impossible to understand who is still involved in the clashes, but it is clear that there is a serious division in the rebellionâ, underlined the interlocutor, who remains anonymous for security reasons. The âdivisionâ of the New Forces â that already emerged in the past months, also with armed clashes â is confirmed by a statement issued by the secretary general Guillaum Soro, denouncing that yesterday the rebel leader was attacked on the way to Korhogo. The chief of staff of the New Forces attributed responsibility for the attack to Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo and Guinean President Lansana Conte, apparently acting in collaboration with the men of Ibrahim Coulibaly, another rival rebel leader, known with the nickname of âIBâ, who has been in France for over a year and is investigated for an alleged attempt to destabilise the Ivory Coast. Soro, along with another two ministers, was distanced from the government of national unity in the past months, reopening a still unresolved political-institutional crisis. President Gbagbo should address the nation this evening to refer the results of todayâs summit in Accra, Ghana, between six Heads of State of the Region to favour a solution to the difficult Ivorian peace process. [BO] N¬±êï‰Ç²,µçhžØ^"wèr‰§zÜ(®Hm¶Ÿÿà "ú ¢g(º
