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Dozens of people
left a district of Cote d’Ivoire’s economic capital Abidjan on Sunday,
a day after gun battles between forces backing two presidential rivals.
Residents of the northern Abobo district said clashes between forces
loyal to incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo and those supporting his
rival Alassane Ouattara continued most of Saturday, but had died down
on Sunday.

“People are starting to leave because they fear more combat,” said Issa Dembele, a resident of Abobo. “Personally,

I’m preparing to
evacuate my own family.” The United Nations estimates around 200,000
people – most of Abobo’s population – have left in the past two weeks.
Gbago has refused to step down after a November presidential election,
which Ouattara is recognised internationally as having won.

Forces loyal to
Gbagbo launched an assault on Saturday to drive Ouattara’s fighters out
of the suburb, although residents said those fighters still controlled
several areas. The latest African Union effort to mediate in the
dispute failed this week, adding to fears of a return to civil war in
the world’s top cocoa grower, whose crisis has pushed cocoa futures to
regular 32-year highs CCc2 in recent weeks. Allies of Gbagbo, who
contends the poll was rigged, refused to accept an AU proposal for a
Ouattara-led unity government.

“Things are calm now, apart from gunfire here and there. But people are leaving,” said Abobo resident Tiemoko Souala.

International
sanctions such as a ban on European ships using Ivorien ports, together
with the near-collapse of the local banking sector, mean supplies of
Cote d’Ivoire’s cocoa to world markets have virtually dried up.

Around 400 people
have already been killed in post-election violence according to the
United Nations, while some 450,000 Ivoriens have fled their homes for
fear of attacks. Around 90,000 have sought refuge in neighbouring
Liberia.

reuters