French soldiers have fired on IvoryCoast rebels saying they were acting in self-defence, but insurgentsaccused them of overstepping their mandate and behaving like"conquering and occupation" forces.
The incident occurred when rebels opened fire on French soldiersas they approached the strategically important town of Duekoue yesterday, aFrench army spokesman said.
The French had acted in legitimate self-defence, first firing inthe air then responding to the attack, said Lieutenant-ColonelAnge-Antoine Leccia.
The advance by rebels of a group known as the Far West IvoryCoast People's Movement (MPIGO) had been halted, and no Frenchsoldiers were wounded.
The incident occurred as the head of France's military arrivedto assess his country's efforts to enforce a truce in the westAfrican state's three-month conflict.
The French army has a mandate to enforce a truce betweengovernment troops and the Ivory Coast Patriotic Movement (MPCI), themain rebel group, which has occupied the country's mainly Muslimnorthern half since September 19.
They are also mandated to protect foreign nationals.
But the MPCI immediately charged that the French had gone beyondtheir mandate in opening fire on rebels.
AFP