At least one person was killed and dozens injured during an attack Saturday in Abidjan on a meeting of during a meeting of the former ruling party, the Ivorian Popular Front.
The former ruling party are composed of supporters of Ivory Coast’s ex-president Laurent Gbagbo.
The rally ended in disarray after opponents began throwing stones.
According to media reports, Gbagbo loyalists tried to fight back. Police fired tear gas to break up the confrontation. United Nations troops were called in to secure the area.
The United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI) strongly condemned today the incidents in Abidjan. The UNOCI launched an appeal for calm and restraint. It both parties and general population to be calm and to avoid taking actions that would further deteriorate the situation in Vavoua and elsewhere.
UNOCI reiterated its “attachment to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression, which are indispensable to democratic life.” It and encouraged the Government to take appropriate measures to determine the circumstances surrounding the incidents, as well as identify and arrest those responsible.
United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI), with the support of French forces, undertook a military operation to protect innocent civilians from escalating violence in the city of Abidjan.
The UN Security Council Resolution 1975 was adopted unanimously. It clearly reaffirms UNOCI’s mandate to use all necessary measures to protect civilians.
