Continued Protests by Residents of Abidjan, Ivory Coast - January 28, 2003

Once again today, residents of Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast, protested against the signing of a peace agreement aimed at ending the four-month civil war in their country, which was signed in Paris. This agreement was reached with the mediation of the French government between the conflicting parties. The demonstrators gathered in front of the U.S. embassy, chanting slogans demanding that the U.S. intervene for a fair resolution to this crisis. Many people in the country believe that the power-sharing agreement has been concluded under pressure from the French government on President Laurent Gbagbo, favoring extremist military factions. Meanwhile, residents of Agboville, located north of Abidjan, reported that in sectarian clashes between the people of that city and extremist military forces, several churches and mosques were destroyed, and several people were killed. On January 28, 2003, at 1731 UTC, the latest news reported that Jacques Chirac, the President of France, urged Laurent Gbagbo, the President of Ivory Coast, to declare his commitment to the peace agreement reached in Paris to end the four-month civil war in Ivory Coast. Mr. Chirac, who mediated the peace negotiations, expressed hope that the situation in this West African country would improve with adherence to the terms of the Paris peace agreement. Laurent Gbagbo, who returned to Abidjan after agreeing to the peace treaty in Paris, faced four days of violent street protests from his supporters. Mr. Gbagbo called for maintaining order and calm, referring to the Paris agreement merely as a series of proposals.