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Ivorian rebels say army bombs base, kills 15 civilians
ABIDJAN (Reuters) -- Ivory Coast rebels accused the army of killing 15 civilians in a helicopter raid on a rebel base on Tuesday, a day after international peace monitors urged the grounding of the gunships. Two Mi-24 "Hinds" pounded Danane at 3 p.m. (1500 GMT), rebel commander Sergeant Bamba told Reuters by satellite phone from the sprawling market town, which lies in hilly country near the border with chaotic Liberia. Helicopters, piloted by experienced mercenaries, are the most potent weapon in the army's arsenal. An army spokesman said he knew nothing of any strike on Danane, but he accused the rebels of attacking loyalist positions nearby and said the forces would use all means at their disposal to defend themselves. "We are still counting the casualties but there are 15 dead. They are civilians," said Bamba. He did not say if rebel fighters were also killed. If proved true, the attack would certainly deal another blow to a French-brokered peace agreement for the world's top cocoa producer -- which brought rebel ministers into a power-sharing government last week after repeated false starts. Rebel leader Felix Doh of the MPIGO group, whose fighters are in Danane, said three allied rebel factions would complain about the attack to an international follow-up committee on the peace deal as well as French and West African peacekeepers. There was no independent confirmation from the isolated region, where the conflict has been exacerbated by links to Liberia's civil war. Liberians, hardened by years of killing, rape and pillage, fight on both sides. Call to ground gunshipsInternational peace monitors called on President Laurent Gbagbo's forces on Monday to ground their helicopters in Abidjan, warning that fighting in the west was putting in doubt efforts to end a war that has cost thousands of lives. Ivory Coast collapsed into war last September after the main MPCI faction failed to seize power in a coup, but kept hold of the northern half of the country of 16 million. The two other rebel factions hold big chunks of the west. The next step in the peace process is meant to be the arrival of nine rebel ministers in Abidjan to get down to work at their new desks. But hundreds of youths chanting war cries blocked a vital highway into Ivory Coast's main city on Tuesday in the biggest protest against the rebel factions for weeks. Denouncing a supposed plan by the new ministers to bring bodyguards to Abidjan, the protesters vowed the rebels would not pass and hurled stones at passing French troops. The rebels were not due to take the road, which leads from their stronghold of Bouake and the nominal capital Yamoussoukro. But the protest added to uncertainty over when they would come. Rebel leader Doh said he found it difficult to understand why the ministers should come to Abidjan if the army was going to launch attacks at the same time. "We are not talking about a boycott; we want peace," he said. "But they have to make clear whether they want war or peace and if they want war then that is what we will give them." Copyright 2003 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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