French troop reinforcements arrived today in Ivory Coast to protect expatriates after a coup attempt left 270 dead, and government troops were preparing to attack two key towns held by rebel soldiers.
"Under precautionary measures decided by the French authorities to assure the security of French citizens and the international community, the army chief-of-staff has reinforced the military unit stationed in Abidjan," the French army said in a statement in Paris.
The number of reinforcements was not divulged. Sources said they were arriving in batches and the whole exercise would be completed Sunday morning.
France, Ivory Coast's former colonial ruler, already had a 600-strong contingent in the main Ivorian city of Abidjan.
Some 20,000 French citizens live in the west African nation where the coup attempt was launched on Thursday.
Authorities said they had control of the situation in Abidjan, on the coast, but that rebels still held the second city of Bouake in central Ivory Coast, and the northern town of Korhogo.
In Abidjan, where the uprising was put down with a casualty toll of 270 people killed and 300 wounded, the home of former prime minister and opposition leader Alassane Ouattara was torched overnight.
Ouattara, currently staying at the French embassy in Abidjan at his own request and with the approval of Ivorian authorities, confirmed the report by telephone.
He said that the arson attack "could only be the work of the security forces because there is a curfew in place. I called the fire brigade but so far no one has arrived."
On Saturday, thousands of dwellings in shantytowns populated mainly by immigrants went up in flames.
Residents accused the paramilitary gendarmerie police of committing arson.
Meanwhile, the Ivory Coast army encircled rebel-held Bouake with about 2,000 men, armoured cars and tanks Saturday.
The government said it would consider the mutineers' grievances if they laid down their arms.
The government accused an unidentified west African "rogue state" of being behind the attempt to topple President Laurent Gbagbo, and was using mercenaries, an accusation that inflamed rampant xenophobia in a country where 36 percent of the population is foreign, mainly Burkinabe.
He added that measures would be taken to look after those in ill health or too old for the army.
The prime minister also asked young men being conscripted by the rebels to "return their arms" or "turn them against the aggressors".
AFP