Gunmen attack police bases in Ivory Coast

By Ange Aboa and Peter Murphy

ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Gunmen attacked a police station in a
town in Ivory Coast on Sunday after killing five military
policemen and seizing weapons in a night raid in the main city
Abidjan, the army said.

Residents fled as the army sent troops to regain control of
the town of Agboville, where up to 2,000 prisoners escaped when
the unidentified gunmen attacked a prison during the chaos.

The raid underlined the risks to a fragile peace process
intended to end a civil war that broke out in 2002. Elections
are planned for the West African country in October.

It was unclear who launched the assault, which took place
in the government-controlled south. Rebels who control the
north of the world’s top cocoa grower declined to make
immediate comment.

“The situation in Agboville is not yet under control
because there’s still sporadic shooting, but we don’t know
whether there is actual fighting between the attackers and the
army, which is trying to liberate the town,” said a military
source.

“Combat units have been sent to the town, but we’re afraid
this might be a diversion so we’re being careful and keeping an
eye on the situation in Abidjan,” he said.

Residents said heavy firing broke out in the town at about
5.00 p.m. (1730 GMT), but it was unclear who was shooting.

Reuters reporters on the 70-km (45-mile) road from Abidjan
to Agboville had earlier seen a convoy of about 10 army lorries
with troops heading toward the town, along with armored
vehicles and trucks mounted with heavy weapons.

The raid began late on Saturday when gunmen attacked a
military police base in Abidjan’s Anyama suburb, killing five
military policemen, before fleeing north to Agboville in the
darkness, the army said.

“The forces of defense and security are currently working
to regain control of the situation,” the army said in a
statement.

The attacks appeared to have also claimed the life of a
sixth member of the security forces when the attackers shot him
at a roadblock between Abidjan and Agboville, witnesses said.

RESIDENTS FLEE

“The town is emptying,” said a resident in Agboville
contacted by telephone. “Lots of local people are leaving the
town to take refuge in nearby villages which they think are
safer,” he said.

Villagers living near the road could be seen gathering
under trees, loading weapons and setting up roadblocks,
mobilising self-defense units in case of further clashes,
witnesses said.

Ivory Coast is entering a delicate phase of its peace
process as rebels prepare to start a long-delayed disarmament
process, due to be completed before the planned elections.
Rebels are due to begin registering for the scheme on July 31.

President Laurent Gbagbo invoked constitutional powers to
pass laws governing nationality and the election commission
this month in line with a peace accord, meeting a key rebel
demand, although mistrust between government and rebels remains
high.

The U.N. peacekeeping mission (ONUCI) in the country said
it had sent personnel to Agboville to assess the situation.

“ONUCI vigorously condemns this unjustifiable action which
puts important progress in the peace process at risk,” the
mission said in a statement.

A Western diplomat said the raid did not appear to bear any
obvious hallmarks of rebel involvement and might be linked to
elements within the government who wanted to maintain a climate
of mistrust, although there was no way to verify the theory.

“I wonder if this isn’t manipulation to maintain the
climate of tension until the elections so that they take place
in conditions which guarantee victory for the president,” he
said.