2004 French–Ivorian clashes
In 2004, an armed conflict took place between France and Côte d'Ivoire. On 6 November 2004, Ivorians launched an air attack on French peacekeepers in the northern part of Côte d'Ivoire who were stationed there as part of Opération Licorne (Unicorn), the French military operation in support of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI). French military forces subsequently clashed with Ivorian troops and government-loyal mobs, destroying the entire Ivorian Air Force. Those incidents were followed by massive anti-French protests in Côte d'Ivoire.
| Ivorian-French clashes of 2004 | ||||||||
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| Part of the Ivorian Civil War and Opération Licorne | ||||||||
 Map (click to enlarge) | ||||||||
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| Belligerents | ||||||||
 Hired pilots from Belarus |
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| Commanders and leaders | ||||||||
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| Strength | ||||||||
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Thousands of civilians | 4,000 | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | ||||||||
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20–60 killed 5 planes destroyed 5 helicopters destroyed |
9 killed 37 wounded 1 aircraft damaged | unknown | ||||||
| 1 US citizen killed | ||||||||
Background
In 2002, a civil war broke out in Côte d'Ivoire between Ivorian military and other forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, the Ivorian president since 2000, and rebel forces identified with the Forces Nouvelles de Côte d'Ivoire. Although most of the fighting ended by late 2004, the country remained split in two, with a rebel-held north and a government-held south.
Ivorian attack on French forces
On 4 November 2004, Gbagbo ordered the counter-offensive to the rebel town of Bouaké to be backed by air strikes. France does not react but on 5 November put three Dassault Mirage F.1 jet fighters based in nearby Gabon on standby.[1]
On 6 November, two Ivorian Sukhoi Su-25 bombers, crewed by two Belarusian mercenaries and two Ivorian pilots, fired on the Ivorian rebels led by Issiaka Ouattara[2][3]. One of the bombers attacked the French peacekeeping position in the town at 1 pm, killing nine French soldiers and wounding 31.[4] An American development worker, reported to have been a missionary, was also killed. The Ivorian government claimed the attack on the French was unintentional, but the French insisted that the attack had been deliberate.[5][6]
Retaliation by the French and subsequent riots
President Jacques Chirac ordered the destruction of the two Ivorian jets.[2] At 2:20 pm, the Su-25s landed back to Abidjan airport and are destroyed by MILAN missiles fired by soldiers of the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment, garrisoned at the airport. They are then attacked by the an Ivorian Mil Mi-24 helicopter gunship but repelled it with machine gun fire.[1]
At 3 pm, armed mobs of Ivorians loyal to the government took to the streets of Abidjan to protest against France and began to mass near the airport and near the 43rd Marine Infantry Batalion base. At Abidjan's airport, French and Ivorian troops exchanged fire, and a French Transall C-160 military transport plane was damaged by RPGs at 4 pm. The remaining aircraft of the Ivorian air force (two other Su-25s, two Mi-24s and one BAC Strikemaster) are destroyed[1], on direct orders from general Henri Poncet,[2] before Ivorian protesters enter into the terminal. Meanwhile, two Mi-24s and one Mil Mi-8 are "annihilated" in Yamoussoukro presidential palace.[1]
On 7 November, thousands of Ivorian loyalists attacked a French school and army base. Crowds of young Ivorians attacked a residential district made up of French citizens, which had to be evacuated by airlift as mobs burst into their apartment buildings. Armored cars carried armed protesters to join the fight, and French helicopters flew over Abidjan and dropped concussion grenades, while French armored vehicles carried troops to put down the riots. Protesters erected burning roadblocks, and French gunboats were positioned beneath the bridges. Fighting continued, and, by Sunday, French forces were still not in control of the city. As the riots in the streets continued, French soldiers opened fire on Ivorian rioters; the French government stated that 20 were killed while Ivorian authorities placed the death toll at 60.[7] At Duékoué and in the northern suburbs of Abidjan, French reinforcements and Ivorian troops exchanged fire, Ivorian soldiers and civilians being killed.[1]
French forces evacuated nearly 5,000 foreign nationals from Ivory Coast in the first half of November.[8] The United Nations Security Council unanimously passed an arms embargo on the country on 15 November 2004.[8]
French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier stated President Gbagbo was "personally responsible for what has happened", and declared that the violence was "unexplainable, unjustifiable". Ivorian National Assembly President Mamadou Koulibaly told state television: "Ivory Coast has become an overseas territory in Jacques Chirac’s head".[6]
Aftermath
France reportedly let the two foreign pilots leave the country, in a group fifteen Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian mercenaries. Questions subsequently raised about a possible French manipulation[9] and a judiciary inquiry is still ongoing as of 2020 in France[5].
Côte d'Ivoire had begun rebuilding its air force with help from Belarus and Ukraine a year after the French attack.[10] A 2014 publication shows that two Sukhoi Su-25s were almost repaired at Abidjan Airport but not put back into service. This was due to an arms embargo, which left all four aircraft in storage, along with two Mil Mi-24 helicopters. The assorted equipment of the aircraft were discovered at the former residence of Félix Houphouët-Boigny by Alassane Ouattara in April 2011, at the end of the post-electoral conflict which saw Gbagbo ousted.[11]
French judge Brigitte Raynaud issued an international arrest warrant for the two pilots suspected of the bombing, Patrice Ouei and Ange-Magloire Gnanduillet, in January 2006.[12] An Ivorian military court was also seeking to find former defence minister Rene Amani and the former head of the loyalist army, Mathias Doue, over the bombing.[13] By 2008, relations between Côte d'Ivoire and France had returned to normal, with French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner being the first French foreign minister to visit since 2004.[14]
References
- Smith, Stephan (16 November 2004). "Enquête sur une quasi-guerre de huit jours entre Paris et Abidjan" [Investigation on a quasi-war of eight days between Paris and Abidjan]. Le Monde.
- Duhem, Vincent (4 August 2017). "Bombardement de Bouaké : au cœur d'une affaire d'État" [Bombardment of Bouaké: in the heart of an affair of State]. Jeune Afrique (in French).
- Lepidi, Pierre; Bozonnet, Charlotte (3 July 2018). "Bombardement de Bouaké en 2004 : vers l'ouverture d'un procès en France" [2004 bombardment of Bouaké: to the opening of a trial in France]. Le Monde (in French).
- "Ivory Coast seethes after attack", BBC News, 7 November 2004.
- Niba, William (9 November 2019). "Victims of Bouaké airstrikes still wait for justice, 15 years after". Radio France Internationale.
- Ann Talbot, "Ivory Coast: protests erupt vs. French military strikes", World Socialist Web Site, 9 November 2004.
- "French foreign minister's visit is first since 2003". France 24. 14 June 2008. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
- "UN arms embargo for Ivory Coast". BBC.co.uk. 16 November 2004. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
- Hofnung, Thomas (30 May 2019). "Bombardement de Bouaké : « Coup du sort, coup de poker ou coup monté ? »" [Bouaké bombardment: "twist of fate, gamble or stitch-up"]. Le Monde.
- "Côte d'Ivoire rebuilding air force, says UN report". Mg.co.za. 14 November 2005. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
- "Ivorian Su-25s, the sharks won't bite again". Archived from the original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
- "Judge issues international arrest warrants for Ivorians suspected of bombing French base". Accessmylibrary.com. 9 January 2006. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
- International Press Clips Archived 31 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine UNMIL
- "Kouchner vows support for winning candidate". Mobile.france24.com. 15 June 2008. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2011.