France arms the rebels and puts them in UN uniforms in Côte d'Ivoire
What you see above are Ouattara's rebels leaving his campaign headquarters, Hotel du Golf, in their failed attempt to overtake the National Television RTI on Thursday for Ouattara. They were faced with heavy fire and decimated. They lost one of their leaders, presumably Idrissa Wattao.
All their weapons were supplied at the hotel by France and the UN who are acting like they know nothing about nothing. Some of the rebels were dressed in UN uniform. On Television today, the army detailed all its findings. Some Civil Rights groups are asking Gbagbo to close the French Embassy and ask all French soldiers to leave Ivory Coast. Will Gbagbo act? That is, as always, the question.
Those rebel FN (Forces Nouvelles) "soldiers" are what AP, Reuters and others call “civilians”. 10 Ivory Coast army soldiers were killed on Thursdays on various fronts. At the Golf Hotel alone, 38 of the Ouattara's rebels were sent to hell. Reuters, AFP and AP stopped talking about them. But when you hear FN, it's those rebels they are talking about.
Soro Guillaume promised to do it again this Friday. None of his "soldiers" showed up. Maybe the UN and France are re-arming them after the heavy casualties they suffered. Those are the same rebels who occupy the North of Ivory Coast since 2002.
40 km North of Yamoussokro, another group of Ouattara's rebels coming from Bouake tried to take Tiebissou. But the Ivory Coast army was waiting for them. Again, they suffered heavy casualties. France and Ouattara' rebels have never disarmed. They are still raping and killing in the North. You don't hear about it. Today, the US representative at the UN, Susan Rice, in a press conference, talked about the event in Abidjan. When she was asked about the rebels attacking Tiebissou, she tries to avoid the question, before replying that it was not a big fight. Yup, not a big fight when heavily armed rebels are attacking a town. Thank you Susan!
Ouattara has no more military options to take Abidjan, unless France, like in 2004, attacks Abidjan. And I don't think France will try that again.
The only real option left for Sarkozy is to make noise with his European allies who know nothing about the crisis. Sarkozy lies to the whole world. And everybody listens, because he has a huge microphone. But we are out in drove to inform all Africans. Even if it's true our voices are submerged, in the whole French propaganda.
Gbagbo must win for Democracy to prevail.
A politician who invades a country with heartless killers should never be allowed to become president, even with the help of the whole United Nations and 95% of rigged elections.
Good night my friends. Independence from France is not for free. We will not let Sarkozy install another French puppet in Africa. At least, not in Côte d’Ivoire.
Gary Bush, December 17, 2010