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Violence rocks Ivory Coast

ABIDJAN (Ivory Coast): Violent street protests shook southern Ivory Coast for a fourth day on Thursday as many supporters of President Laurent Gbagbo ignored his call to return home and demanded the United Nations be punished after a deadly fire-fight involving U.N. peacekeepers. Peacekeepers fired tear gas grenades to keep back hundreds of angry young men outside U.N. headquarters in Abidjan, the country's main city. Ivory Coast is still split between Government- and rebel-held zones despite peace deals to end a 2002-2003 civil war. Shops, schools and banks remained closed in the city centre although life began returning to normal in some outlying areas after Mr. Gbagbo called on protesters late on Wednesday to leave the streets and said workers should return to their jobs. Mr. Gbagbo made his declaration in a signed communiqué after an emergency meeting with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, U.N. Ivory Coast chief Pierre Schori and others. — AP

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