UN evacuates Ivory Coast staff

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

The United Nations mission in Ivory Coast has begun evacuating some 200 employees after frequent attacks on its headquarters by forces loyal to the country's incumbent president, Laurent Gbagbo.

A UN employee said they had been told today that they were leaving, and had been taken by helicopter from their base in Abidjan to the airport. They expected to be evacuated initially to the northern city of Bouake.

The source asked not to be named because UN employees are not authorised to speak to the press.

The evacuation order is for all "essential employees". Non-essential workers were evacuated several months ago. The UN still has a military presence in Ivory Coast, and French forces secured Abidjan airport on Saturday.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/03/ivory-coast-un-evacuates-staff

[Davis_X_Machina]

1. How can they evacuate...

...when they aren't in there in the first place? Because of racism, and a lack of oil, and no impetus from the US and other imperialist states, the world had abandoned Côte d'Ivoire.

I mean, DU posters wouldn't be wrong?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. I beleive I read that the French had boots on the ground there

[Harmony Blue]

3. In fairness

The French are doing their best to keep the Ivory Coast situation to the forefront of the world community while juggling the situation in Libya.

[joshcryer]

4. They do have financial reasons for that, of course. The GOP is deplorable, though, siding with...

...the tyrant who won't give up control.

As far as the French are concerned I don't think their financial connections with the Ivory Coast should be used to detract from the situation, they have their reasons, but they're siding with the right side.