Gunmen attack police bases in Ivory Coast

ABIDJAN - Gunmen attacked a police station in a town in Ivory Coast on Sunday after killing five military policemen and seizing weapons in a night raid in the main city Abidjan, the army said.

Soldiers backed by tanks later regained control of Agboville, where up to 2,000 prisoners escaped when the unidentified gunmen attacked a prison during the chaos.

"Since 17:52 the defence and security forces of Ivory Coast have retaken control of Agboville," acting army spokesman Nandge Zady said on state television. "Mopping up operations are now under way to hunt down and neutralise the last residual elements who are on the run and scattered in the area."

He said casualty figures would be released later.

The raid underlined the risks to a fragile peace process intended to end a civil war that broke out in 2002. Elections are planned for the West African country in October.

It was unclear who launched the assault, which took place in the government-controlled south. Rebels who control the north of the world's top cocoa grower declined to make immediate comment.

Residents said they saw armoured vehicles sent by the army entering the town after heavy firing broke out at about 5 pm (local time), but it was unclear who was shooting.

"Since they arrived, there hasn't been any firing," said hotel receptionist Jean-Baptiste Kouame. "They are in the town centre," he said, referring to the army.

The raid began late on Saturday when gunmen attacked a military police base in Abidjan's Anyama suburb, killing five military police, before fleeing to Agboville, the army said.

The attacks appeared to have also claimed the life of a sixth member of the security forces when the attackers shot him at a roadblock between Abidjan and Agboville, witnesses said.

RED BERETS

A resident in Agboville said the gunmen had been dressed in a combination of fatigues, red berets and civilian clothes. He estimated there had been dozens of assailants.

Charles Ble Goude, the leader of the pro-government Young Patriot group who led days of anti-French rioting across Abidjan in November, expressed anger over the attacks at the audience of a three-day Pan-African youth congress on Sunday.

He threatened to take control of state television, now under the control of rebel leader Guillaume Soro who is communications minister in a power-sharing government, unless Agboville was returned to government hands within 24 hours.

"I'm not joking and I have the means to do it," he said, speaking before the army announced the town had been retaken.

Ivory Coast is entering a delicate phase of its peace process as rebels prepare for a long-delayed disarmament. Rebels are due to register for the scheme on July 31.

President Laurent Gbagbo invoked constitutional powers to pass laws governing nationality and the election commission this month in line with a peace accord, meeting a key rebel demand, although mistrust between government and rebels remains high.

The UN peacekeeping mission (ONUCI) condemned the raid.

"ONUCI vigorously condemns this unjustifiable action which puts important progress in the peace process at risk," the mission said in a statement.

A Western diplomat said the raid did not appear to bear any obvious hallmarks of rebel involvement and might be linked to elements within the government who wanted to maintain a climate of mistrust, although there was no way to verify the theory.

"I wonder if this isn't manipulation to maintain the climate of tension until the elections so that they take place in conditions which guarantee victory for the president," he said.

- REUTERS