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Heavy Fighting Erupts in Key Ivory Coast Town

   VOA News  March 28, 2011
   A man known as Commander Bauer, the chief of a group of fighters which
   calls itself the "invisible commandos", walks with his men in northern
   Abidjan's  Abobo  district.  Fighting  in  Ivory  Coast's main city is
   spreading and the death toll from a power strugg

Photo: Reuters

   A man known as Commander Bauer, the chief of a group of fighters which
   calls itself the "invisible commandos", walks with his men in northern
   Abidjan's  Abobo  district.  Fighting  in  Ivory  Coast's main city is
   spreading  and  the death toll from a power struggle between incumbent
   leader  Laurent  Gbagbo  and  his rival Alassane Ouattara is mounting,
   March 26, 2011

   Intense  fighting  has  erupted  in  the strategic Ivory Coast town of
   Duekoue, as supporters for rival presidentâs battle for control of the
   country's west.
   Residents  of  the  town reported hearing explosions and heavy weapons
   being  fired  on  Monday.  The French news agency, AFP, said fighters
   backing  internationally-recognized  president  Alassane  Ouattara are
   trying to seize the town.
   Pro-Ouattara  rebels  have  been  making  gains in western Ivory Coast
   against forces loyal to incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo.  Fighters
   with  the  New  Forces  rebels  say  they  have seized five towns from
   pro-Gbagbo troops in recent weeks.
   Gbagbo  has  defied  intense international pressure to peacefully turn
   over  power  to Ouattara, who the United Nations and the African Union
   recognize as the winner of last November's presidential election.
   The  town  of  Duekoue is located at a crossroads that leads to either
   Liberia in the west or Guinea in the north.
   The  U.N. refugee agency says up to one million people have fled their
   homes because of post-election violence in Ivory Coast.
   The  United  Nations  says  at  least  462  people have been killed in
   violence since the crisis began in December.
   The  U.N.  Security  Council  will take up a resolution this week that
   seeks sanctions against Gbagbo and his closest advisors.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

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