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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Security forces kill protesters in Cote dIvoire |
| 2010-02-21 |
| [Mail and Globe] Security forces in Côte d'Ivoire opened fire on hundreds of protesters in south-western Gagnoa town Friday, killing an undisclosed number of people and wounding others, hospital sources said. An opposition politician at the march estimated the number of dead at five but there was no independent confirmation. The violence is the latest in a spate of demonstrations in the world's top cocoa grower since President Laurent Gbagbo dissolved the government and the electoral commission a week ago, after a row over voter registration. West Africa's former economic hub is under increasing international pressure to end the row and restart an electoral process meant to end a crisis triggered by a 2002-2003 war. The poll originally was supposed to take place in 2005 and public anger is boiling over at years of political instability and limbo while Ivorians wait for elections seen as the only way of drawing a line under their conflict. "There are deaths but I cannot tell you the exact number as that is up to the authorities," a hospital source told Reuters. "I can say no more!" The acting hospital director said he was not authorised to give the death or injury toll because it was too sensitive. Gagnoa's main street was littered with stones and the ashes of burnt tyres after the protest. The town was deserted by late afternoon except for the police and gendarmerie. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Unless Israelis or Americans were involved, who cares? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2010-02-21 04:03 |