France bolsters Ivory Coast presence

France bolstered its military presence in Ivory Coast on 3 April 2011 and took over the country’s main airport as forces loyal to rival presidential claimants battled for control of Abidjan, the main city, amid reports of massacres in the cocoa-producing west.

The UN pulled out some of its own staff following attacks on its headquarters in Abidjan and the wounding of four peacekeepers by supporters of Laurent Gbagbo, the outgoing president, whose refusal to concede election defeat has reignited civil war.

France deployed an additional 300 troops to its former colony, bringing the total number there to 1,400, prompting appeals by supporters of Mr Gbagbo for mass mobilisation to resist the 'occupying force'.

EUObserver, 4.4.11: France set to evacuate EU expats in Ivory Coast http://euobserver.com/9/32117

France 24, 4.4.11: Special report: The battle for Ivory Coast http://www.france24.com/en/20101026-ivory-coast-presidential-poll-election-2010-special-report

BBC News, 4.4.11: Ivory Coast eyewitness: Panic in Abidjan http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12957580

Deutsche Welle, 3.4.11: France sends in more troops as Ivory Coast crisis escalates http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,14961892,00.html

Libération, 5.4.11: Another French front in Africa (via PressEurop) http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/584321-another-french-front-africa

EUObserver, 5.4.11: UN, France strike military targets in Ivory Coast http://euobserver.com/9/32121

EUObserver, 4.4.11: EU maintains support for Ivory Coast president-elect http://euobserver.com/9/32119

EUObserver, 7.4.11: EU: situation in Ivory Coast 'moving from bad to worse' http://euobserver.com/9/32140

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