UN troops attacks Gbagbo positions

UN: United Nations leader Ban Ki-moon said he ordered an attack Sunday by UN troops on the positions of Ivory Coast strongman Laurent Gbagbo in a new bid to knock out his heavy weapons.

Ban said the new military strike on the presidential compound and nearby military camps was needed because of new attacks by Gbagbo’s forces against the headquarters of internationally-recognized president Alassane Ouattara and of the UN mission, UNOCI.

He reaffirmed UN accusations that Gbagbo had used an offer of talks he made last Tuesday “to regroup their forces and redeploy heavy weapons.”

“The continued use of heavy weapons against the civilian population and our peacekeepers, as well as the attack against the headquarters of the legitimate government, have compelled me, once again, to instruct UNOCI to use all necessary means to prevent the use of these weapons.” The attacks by UN and French forces were “to prevent the use of heavy weapons which threaten the civilian population of Abidjan and our peacekeepers,” according to the UN leader.

Monday, AFP