ABIDJAN: Laurent Gbagbo,an strongman in Ivory Coast, on Saturday accused UN peacekeeping troops in the country of having “fired on civilians” and said they must leave.Gbagbo said the UN operation in Ivory Coast “ONUCI fired on our citizens who are now at the Abidjan Military Hospital.”
He was referring to an incident when UN forces clashed with a hostile crowd. Â However, ONUCI formally denied that it fired any shots at the mob.
RTI television, which is under Gbagbo’s control, had said that a UN patrol fired into the crowd and injured several civilians. Television footage showed people allegedly injured by the UN forces.
“It is not the role of UN forces to shoot people, nor is it their role to fight a war,” said Gbagbo. “It is their role to reassure, but, as is happening, they no longer do.” Gbagbo said it was “not normal” that the UN forces would open fire on civilians.
This is why I ask them to leave,” he said. He also called for 900 French troops who back up the 9,000 UN forces to leave Ivory Coast.
The West African country faced the threat of conflict this weekend after a deadline set by Alassane Ouattara for his rival Gbagbo to quit passed unheeded.
Self-proclaimed president Gbagbo vowed not to yield to growing pressure to cede power to Ouattara, the internationally recognised winner of a November 28 presidential election.
Gbagbo said he had called for the troops’ departure through diplomatic channels. “We will obtain their definitive departure through diplomatic channels but they must leave … if not the number of incidents like this will increase and this we cannot accept.
“Gbagbo had already called for French and UN forces to leave the country about three weeks after the election, alleging they were backing his rival Ouattara.–Agencies
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