Thousands of Ivorian people flee Abidjan as violence intensifies

[News_Editor]

Thousands of Ivorian people flee Abidjan as violence intensifies

2011-03-23 01:50:27 GMT+7 (ICT)

ABIDJAN, CÔTE D'IVOIRE (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) on Tuesday informed that thousands of Ivorian people have fled the country's commercial capital Abidjan after violence intensified and civil war is feared.

Large numbers of people have flocked to the two main bus terminals in Abidjan in order to flee the city. Over the weekend, many families slept in Adjame and Yopougon terminals in order get bus seats.

UNCHR said that some Ivorian citizens said they were leaving Abidjan because of a call to war made on Saturday by youth leader Charles Blé Goudé for civilians to join the ranks of the armed forces loyal to former President Laurent Gbagbo.

Violence has escalated in the African nation due to the post-election crisis stemming from the November 2010 elections which UN-certified and internationally recognized resulted in the defeat of Gbagbo against opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara. The polls were UN-certified and internationally recognized.

On Thursday, at least 30 unarmed civilians were killed and 60 others after a market in Abidjan's northern suburb of Abobo was attacked with mortar shells. The attack was perpetrated by Gbagbo's Ivorian Defense and Security Forces (FDSCI).

Due to the sudden rise of demand, the cost of transportation was increased. In addition, humanitarian organizations have received several requests from internally displaced persons (IDPs) to help them leave Abidjan.

It's estimated that more than 300,000 people have been displaced in Abidjan, many of them, from Abobo suburb where fierce fighting have been taking place for weeks. Most of the IDPs are attempting to go to the northern and eastern regions of the country.

The UNHCR has completed the first IDP site in Danane town. Over the weekend, 778 displaced people were relocated to the site from a nearby school at Dioulabougou. Two additional sites are being set in Danane.

More than 400 people have died in the violent crisis that followed the presidential elections which were meant to be the culminating point in reunifying a country split by civil war in 2002 into a Government-controlled south and a rebel-held north. Some 370,000 people have been internally displaced and over 70,000 more have fled to neighboring Liberia.

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