Troops loyal to Alassane Ouattara were accused of atrocities in the West of the coutntry in their thrust in Abidjan. Photo: AFP/Sia Kambou/Getty ImagesHelicopters of the United Nations and the French fired rockets at the residence of Laurent Gbagbo in an attack that the United Nations said was in retaliation for assaults committed by its forces on the headquarters of the United Nations and civilian.
At least six French and two United Nations helicopters were involved in the attack, authorized by the Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon. He accused Gbagbo of using heavy weapons against civilians of C?te d'Ivoire and the forces of the United Nations tries to protect.
"United Nations helicopters and the French continue to fire at the residence of President Gbagbo, which was partly destroyed," the Mello Ahoua Don Gbagbo spokesman told Reuters. "There is a thick smoke from it, but we have no other details on the damage." He did not say if Gbagbo was in residence at the time.
Abidjan remains on razor Sunday, without end to a civil war in C?te d'Ivoire. There is growing evidence of atrocities committed on both sides, with unable to make a statement important peacekeepers 9,000 of the United Nations. What seemed to be a morally simple contest between the Democrats and the dictator becomes completely blurred.
The reputation of Alassane Ouattara, internationally recognised winner of the election of last November, has taken a serious violence against these days. A report by Human Rights Watch - detailed Saturday in the Guardian - said forces loyal to killed hundreds of civilians, raped Ouattara supporters of his rival and burned villages in the West of the country. Survivors described how soldiers "summarily executed and raped supporters of Gbagbo perceived in their homes, as they worked in the fields, as they fled, or while they tried to hide in the Bush."
These claims have the potential to damage the United Nations, EU and African Union, which all approved Ouattara, as the legitimate President and most of all the French, which launched air strikes against the military of Gbagbo week continued last night, and which seems more deeply mired in conflict by the day. But there was still no sign of remorse.
Ouattara has long tried to dissociate the rebels focused on North who fought a brief civil war almost a decade previously that divided the country. These fighters have accused of numerous atrocities in time. But it seems to change tack as the rebels, which he renamed "Republican Forces", began their lightning assault against Gbagbo.
Ouattara has promised will be the subject of human rights violations and the perpetrators punished, regardless of their allegiance. Apollinaire Yapi, a spokesman for his military commander Guillaume Soro, said: "there are accusations of abuse here and there." Mr. Ouattara said that they must be condemned, those who did them.
"It was reported in the West that there was a massacre." It will be an investigation in which has done what, a group close to Ouattara forces or forces of Gbagbo. Prior to this investigation, no conclusion can be drawn. ?
Yapi defended the conduct of the troops of the Ouattara. "Our forces do not abuse." There may be people who made this or that. It is a major concern for Mr. Ouattara. It does not follow that its mandate be spoiled by these abuses. One who is responsible is punished. ?
Human Rights Watch led calls for Ouattara to take a firm position. His research in C?te d'Ivoire, Matt Wells, said that it would still take the benefit of the doubt.
"For us, the question of legitimacy depends whether if he fulfils his promise to open a credible investigation of the atrocities on both sides," he said.
"He has include the prosecution of those who have committed atrocities and commanders who supervised the." Since it has been said things, he deserves the first opportunity to show that there is a credible investigation. If not, then return to mechanisms for international justice.
Hamadoun Toure, a spokesman for the mission of the United Nations in C?te d'Ivoire, said: "we still study the level of atrocities committed during the last four months." A full report will be published at the end. ?
Gbagbo's forces have been involved in abuse since the post-election crisis, Wells added, while Ouattara is more directly related to the military campaign in the West. "You wouldn't necessarily equate the two but the violations committed by the troops of the Ouattara are racking.". Is impossible to work the numbers on each side. ?
Wells made pas take to the United Nations for not having to intervene. "It's a very difficult situation for the United Nations." They are the target themselves. They have been very proactive in the investigation of these cases - they have sent a team to the West immediately. There is very little to criticize harshly on the side of the United Nations. We hope that their latest peacekeepers will be deployed in the most vulnerable areas. ?
The United States also congratulated the position of the Ouattara so far. "We welcome the statement of the President Ouattara of the need for credible investigations into the violations committed by any party and welcomed its commitment to govern for all Ivorians, said Mark Toner, the State Department acting Deputy spokesman.
The Assistant Secretary General for the rights of man, Ivan Simonovic, raised the issue of civilian deaths with Ouattara and Gbagbo senior Assistant when he was in Ivory Coast last week.
Ouattara has subsequently appeared on national television and urged his supporters, and all other Ivorians to refrain from committing crimes or acts of revenge and said that those who had done will be punished.
But Antony Goldman, an analyst with London PM Consulting West Africa, said that the situation could be independent of the will of the two leaders. "Main regret should be all who made this crisis becoming a disaster.". "There was an absence of any intervention after the election to resolve the problem, particularly of the African Union," he said, adding: "the lack of leadership in the first three months of this year in Ivory Coast has created all conditions for this type of violence." It went beyond Gbagbo and Ouattara. "Violence is so polarized and there is no sense of each side of the Middle".
A recurring aspect of violence has been the use of mercenaries from Liberia, appears to have been recruited by the two parties to the conflict.
The two presidential rivals are now at an impasse in their respective headquarters in Abidjan: Gbagbo in his bunker in the presidential residence defended by about 1000 men, Ouattara in Hotel Golf under protection of the United Nations.
The hotel was attacked late Saturday and a peacekeeper was injured. A spokesman Hamadoun Toure said rockets and mortars landed in the grounds of the hotel shortly after the UN forces were attacked near. A peacekeeper was evacuated to the Hospital of serious injuries.
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