As the two opposing forces in Cote d’Ivoire prepare for a final battle in the capital of Abidjan, civilians are seeking refuge in embassies and foreigners are leaving via the French Licorne (Unicorn) Force controlled airport.
French and Lebanese nationals have flown to Dakar in Senegal to seek safety but there are still around 12,000 French citizens in the West African coastal nation. France has committed to evacuating its citizens. The meeting points for French citizens in Abidjan are the Hotel Wafou on South Bridge and the French Embassy in the North
Around 150,000 Ivorian refugees are seeking safety in Liberia and around 5,000 are sheltering in Ghana.
The UN has evacuated 200 staff from its HQ to a rebel held town. In the midst of the fighting, reports have emerged of a massacre of at least 800 civilians, though full details of who is responsible are unclear. Control of state owned TV has switched hands twice in the last few weeks with both sides publishing propaganda via TV and radio.
In This Story: Cote D'Ivoire
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d’Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, is a country located on the south coast of West Africa. Ivory Coast’s political capital is Yamoussoukro in the center of the country, while its economic capital and largest city is the port city of Abidjan.
It borders Guinea to the northwest, Liberia to the west, Mali to the northwest, Burkina Faso to the northeast, Ghana to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic Ocean) to the south.
The official language of the republic is French, with local indigenous languages also being widely used that include Baoulé, Dioula, Dan, Anyin, and Cebaara Senufo. In total, there are around 78 different languages spoken in Ivory Coast. The country has large populations of adherents of Christianity, Islam and various indigenous religions.
Before its colonization by Europeans, Ivory Coast was home to several states, including Gyaaman, the Kong Empire and Baoulé. The area became a protectorate of France in 1843 and achieved independence in 1960.