The residence of Laurent Gbagbo in Abidjan was partially destroyed Sunday by missiles fired from helicopters UNOCI and the French Licorne force, said a spokesman for the outgoing president of Ivory Coast. The helicopters fired on the tanks inside the presidential palace and outside the residence. He did not say if Laurent Gbagbo was on site at the time of the attack.
"French helicopters and the UN continued to fire on the residence of President Gbagbo, who is partially destroyed," said Reuters spokesman said, Ahoua Don Mello."There is a thick smoke but we have no other details on the damage caused. "
A resident of Cocody said he saw "a French helicopter fire four missiles in the area of the residence shortly before 17:00 (GMT). A resident of the neighborhood Youpougon (West Shelf separated by the lagoon) has reported seeing "three Helicopters fire on the presidency.""For several minutes, black smoke rises into the sky towards the palace," he added.
A Reuters correspondent on the French military base of Port-Bouet, near the airport, fifteen kilometers from the residence of Gbagbo said he heard loud explosions echoed from the combat zone.He said that four helicopters, two of UNOCI and two of the Force Licorne, "led the attacks.
Gbagbo's camp talking about an assassination attempt, invokes UNOCI's mandate
France has "no other purpose" than to "assassinate" the outgoing president, Laurent Gbagbo, has responded to AFP Ahoua Don Mello, denouncing the shooting of the French Licorne force "on the residence of the Chief State ".
"France was looking for excuses to réattaquer, she has gathered," he said, referring in particular to an attack Saturday on the headquarters of Alassane Ouattara, Gbagbo, whose camp has denied being responsible.
"We take the operation to neutralize the heavy weapons wherever they are. UNOCI and Licorne have begun to target targets in several places, especially near the presidential palace and near the presidential residence," replied the spokesman of UNOCI, Hamadoun Toure. "Over the past three or four days, there was a use of heavy weapons against civilians and peacekeepers. The firing against the head of UNOCI continued, hence the need to react to protect civilians in accordance with our mandate, "he added.
The shootings have targeted as "camps where recognition exercises have identified heavy weapons," according to Mr Touré.
