EU and UN outraged by French Imperialism (http://www....)

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February 07, 2003

EU and UN outraged by French Imperialism


French soldiers killed amid fear of new Ivory Coast coup By John Lichfield
in Paris The Independent 27 August 2003 Two French soldiers have been killed
by rebels in the Ivory Coast amid fears of a return of the civil war that
was declared over last month. France called the killings "acts of cowardice"
by "uncontrolled elements" and said yesterday that the attacks would not
deter efforts to help keep peace in its former west African colony. The
attack on a French patrol boat occurred on Monday, hours after a coup
attempt in the Ivory Coast was foiled by the arrest of 10 people in France.
French officers in the 4,000-strong peacekeeping force said that there was
no reason to believe that the two incidents were connected. They said the
French patrol had been attacked by a group of apparently drunk or drugged
rebels from a group which has been absorbed into the Ivory Coast government
since March. A French army spokesman, Lt Col Jérome Sallé, said the French
patrol and the rebels had had a heated exchange. As the French were leaving,
the rebels opened fire, hitting two soldiers in the head and chest. Both
soldiers, one of whom was a medic, died within minutes. A third soldier was
hit in the foot. The French patrol returned fire, killing one and wounding
several others. These were the first deaths suffered by the French since
their forces arrived in Ivory Coast six months ago. At least three rebel
groups took control of the north and most of the economically vital,
cocoa-producing west, early this year, in an attempt to displace President
Laurent Gbagbo. They accused him of exploiting ethnic rivalries and allowing
army and security forces to run riot since he won a disputed election in
2000. Under an agreement brokered by the French in March, Mr Gbagbo remained
in power but passed day-to-day control to a prime minister heading a
coalition of government and rebel representatives. Despite riots in Mr
Gbagbo's favour in the principal city, Abidjan, the war was declared
formally over in early July. Rumours abound however, of plans for another
armed uprising. On Monday, France said that it had foiled a coup attempt by
a dozen people. Those arrested included Ibrahim Coulibaly, a former senior
Ivorian army officer implicated in a string of attempts to seize power since
1999. A statement from the Ivorian presidency said that the arrests came at
a time "when various sources are predicting an eventual resumption of
hostilities in Ivory Coast and an imminent attack on ... Abidjan".
Officially, France sees the attack on its soldiers as an isolated act by
disaffected former rebels. The defence minister, Michèle Alliot-Marie, said
the soldiers "were set upon in an irrational manner". She added: "This
incident will not call into question our country's determination and
commitment to actively contribute to the return of peace and the conclusion
of the process of national reconciliation."