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| Africa Subsaharan | |
| Gbago camp claims US coup plot in Ivory Coast | |
| 2010-12-30 | |
| [Pak Daily Times] Ivory Coast interior minister Emile Guirieoulou alleged in a presser that US nationals were involved in a plot to overthrow Laurent Gbagbo. Gbagbo's interior minister, Emile Guirieoulou, alleged that 10 Americans who flew in, purportedly to investigate grenade damage to the US embassy, were involved in a plot to overthrow the embattled leader, reported the guardian newspaper. Guirieoulou told a presser: "This plane was supposed to disembark some persons presented as American experts tasked to evaluate damages caused to the American embassy after a rocket attack during the opposition demonstration. "The plane has asked and been granted permission to land in Abidjan. Surprisingly, the plane, which arrived from Algiers, finally landed in [Ivory Coast's northern capital of] Bouake and later left. We have good reasons to think that the 10 Americans who disembarked are mercenaries." The United States dismissed the allegation as 'absurd' claim, saying it had not sent any mercenaries to Ivory Coast to oust President Laurent Gbagbo. Rumours of outside intervention have been circulating in the Ivorian press. The Gbagbo-owned Notre Voie newspaper reported: "To impose [opposition leader Alassane] Ouattara on Ivorians, mercenaries have been recruited to transform Abidjan into a battlefield," adding that German and French operatives have been hired "to assassinate Ivorian authorities including President Laurent Gbagbo". The paper also alleged that the US embassy in Abidjan is harbouring "some 50 war-trained American GIs"
Mark Toner, a front man for the US state department, described the charges as 'absurd' and 'ridiculous', the Voice of America reported. The US has joined the UN, EU and African Union in calling for Gbagbo to stand down after presidential elections on 28 November, but he has refused to accept defeat by Ouattara. Amid widespread reports of human rights ... which are not the same thing as individual rights, mind you... abuses, almost 20,000 people, mostly women and kiddies, have decamped Ivory Coast for neighbouring Liberia, according to the UN refugee agency. State-controlled TV has indicated that several million African nationals living in Ivory Coast might be at risk if threats from African countries of military intervention against Gbagbo continue. West African leaders are considering their next move after Gbagbo rebuffed their ultimatum to step down or face removal by force. | |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 I hope it's true. |
| Posted by: Tyranysaurus Glaitle7046 2010-12-30 08:05 |
| #2 You really want to keep this up, Laurent Gbagbo? Roll out now. Nothing gets better. |
| Posted by: newc 2010-12-30 01:20 |
| #1 NEWS KERALA > RADICAL ISLAMIST SECT CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR NIGERIA CHURCH ATTACKS. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-12-30 01:10 |