Ivory Coast: aid workers find 1,000 bodies in Duekoue

The Telegraph ^ | April 2, 2011 | Aislinn Laing

[School of Rational Thought]

The single biggest atrocity in the long battle for control of Ivory Coast has emerged after aid workers discovered the bodies of up to 1,000 people in the town of Duekoue.

Charity workers who reached Duekoue said it appeared the killings had taken place in a single day, shortly after the town fell to troops loyal to Alassane Ouattara, the man internationally-recognised as having won last year’s presidential election.

The apparent massacre came despite the presence of United Nations troops and - if confirmed - will cast a shadow over Mr Outtara’s assumption of the Ivory Coast’s presidency after a four-month battle to oust Lawrence Gbagbo, the former president who lost the November election but refused to step down.

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[Optimist]

yeah baby

[elpadre]

were the victims all Christian - bet they were!!

[livius]

I suppose that this massacre proves the outgoing president of the Ivory Coast had good reason to stay in power after losing the election.

His term was actually extended TWICE by the UN because the instability (read, Muslim rioting) in the country made it impossible to hold elections. He won the election, btw, but Ouattara did the usual leftist thing of claiming fraud (the major fraud was actually the vote suppression of Christian voters in the north, Ouattara's Islamic territory), refusing to accept the results, and demanding a recount. After a bit, he got the numbers he needed, and of course the Organization of Islamic States (and the US) demanded that the election be overturned and Ouattara be awarded the presidency.