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| East/Subsaharan Africa |
| Ivorian rebels attack French troops |
| 2003-01-06 |
| Rebels in Ivory Coast have attacked French positions outside the cocoa-growing town of Duekoue, in the west of the country. A French army source told the BBC that a considerable number of rebels had been killed and four French soldiers slightly injured in two mortar-backed attacks on Monday morning. A total of 70 men on foot were involved in the two, simultaneous attacks. About 40 men attacked a French position on a road between Duekoue and the town of Man, further to the north. Some 30 others launched another offensive from the road connecting Duekoue and Blodi. "The French soldiers responded firmly, with all the means at their disposal," Lieutenant-Colonel Ange-Antoine Leccia, the spokesman for the French army in Ivory Coast, said. The BBC's Paul Welsh in Abidjan says that the French fought off the attack without using their helicopter gunships. "Colonel, ze rebels are attacking, should I wake up the pilots? Nah, there are only 70 of them. Sgt Zim can handle that many by himself. Open another bottle of that delightful wine." The French have described the attacks as "serious", but said they did not change the status quo. "The incident is considered serious, but we don't consider it to be a violation of the ceasefire," a French military source was quoted as saying by Reuter news agency. Meaning they kicked the rebels butts As for the rebels, they spoke of a misunderstanding. "It's the French who are imposing on our troops. It's a misunderstanding," spokesman Guillaume Prospere Ghbatto told Reuters news agency. "We meant to attack, er, someone else" |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #1 Ragged, poorly armed and trained rebels attacking prepared defensive positions manned by veterans of Le Legion Etrangere? Another name for suicide. |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-01-06 15:19:39 |