February 05, 2003
France wants to send more troops...to the Ivory Coast
France bolsters Ivory Coast peace force
France is strengthening its military presence in Ivory Coast to protect western nationals there and enforce a truce between rebel groups and the government.
Paris began deploying some 450 soldiers to its former colony earlier this week, to back up 2,500 troops already in Ivory Coast, said a spokesman for the French armed forces.
Meanwhile, thousands of supporters of President Laurent Gbagbo have been demonstrating in the main city of Abidjan against the peace deal reached with the rebels 10 days ago to end the civil war.
The French deployment and the protest follow the United Nations Security Council's decision to give French and African troops in Ivory Coast a mandate to use force in order to protect civilians.
I have a feeling that with this addition of 450 men, you're looking at
most of the French army...
which is one of several reasons they can't and won't help us to take out the trash in Baghdad.
