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- Jul 21, 2009
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The U.N. mission in Ivory Coast says men in military uniforms opened fire on the U.N. base in Abidjan late Friday.
There were no reported injuries in the attack. The U.N. has called on incumbent Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo to step down in favor of internationally-recognized election winner Alassane Ouattara.
On Friday, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon and French President Nicolas Sarkozy renewed their calls for Mr. Gbagbo to hand over power. But Gbagbo supporters have vowed their leader will stay in office.
The French news agency quotes a top Gbagbo aide, Charles Ble Goude, as saying Mr. Sarkozy will have to march over our corpses to get to the president. He called on all Ivorians to get ready for combat.
At least 20 people died during street clashes in Abidjan Thursday, as Ouattara supporters tried to march on the state television station.
Mr. Gbagbo retains control of the army and other state institutions, while Mr. Ouattara is housed in an Abidjan hotel, protected by U.N. peacekeepers.
Both men say they won last month's presidential runoff election and have named rival governments. The dispute has sparked fears that Ivory Coast could plunge back into civil war.
A 2002 civil war left the country divided into rebel and government-controlled areas.
Mr. Gbagbo has been in power since 2000. His term of office expired in 2005, but he has stayed in office while elections were repeatedly delayed
source:VOA
There were no reported injuries in the attack. The U.N. has called on incumbent Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo to step down in favor of internationally-recognized election winner Alassane Ouattara.
On Friday, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon and French President Nicolas Sarkozy renewed their calls for Mr. Gbagbo to hand over power. But Gbagbo supporters have vowed their leader will stay in office.
The French news agency quotes a top Gbagbo aide, Charles Ble Goude, as saying Mr. Sarkozy will have to march over our corpses to get to the president. He called on all Ivorians to get ready for combat.
At least 20 people died during street clashes in Abidjan Thursday, as Ouattara supporters tried to march on the state television station.
Mr. Gbagbo retains control of the army and other state institutions, while Mr. Ouattara is housed in an Abidjan hotel, protected by U.N. peacekeepers.
Both men say they won last month's presidential runoff election and have named rival governments. The dispute has sparked fears that Ivory Coast could plunge back into civil war.
A 2002 civil war left the country divided into rebel and government-controlled areas.
Mr. Gbagbo has been in power since 2000. His term of office expired in 2005, but he has stayed in office while elections were repeatedly delayed
source:VOA