Ivory Coast: U.N. helicopters fire on Gbagbo army camp - witnesses

[Turborama]

Source: Reuters

ABIDJAN | Mon Apr 4, 2011 1:39pm EDT

- United Nations helicopters fired four missiles at a pro-Gbagbo military camp in Ivory Coast's main city of Abidjan on Monday, witnesses said.

"We saw two UNOCI (U.N. mission in Ivory Coast) MI-24 helicopters fire missiles on the Akouedo military camp. There was a massive explosion and we can still see the smoke," one of the witnesses said.

The camp is home to three battalions of the Ivorian army.

Calls to the U.N. forces commander in Ivory Coast went unanswered.

(Reporting by Ange Aboa; Writing Bate Felix; Editing by Louise Ireland)

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/04/us-ivorycoast-un-idUSTRE7334L020110404?WT.tsrc=Social%20Media&WT.z_smid=twtr-reuters_%20com&WT.z_smid_dest=Twitter

[xchrom]

1. What will happen next? Nt

[Adsos Letter]

2. I wonder why they didn't intervene against the Outarra fighters massacreing the mission at Duekoue?

I don't know how heavily armed they are (apparently they have MI-24's, essentially a flying tank) or what their mandate is but according to witnesses:

"The mission killings began the day after Outarra’s fighters overwhelmed the town. A thousand UN peacekeeping soldiers, mainly from Pakistan and Vietnam and based in Duekoue, did nothing to stop the killing, according to aid workers."

Link: http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/world-news/the-next-rwanda-in-all-districts-of-abidjan-there-is-gunfire-1.1094251

[Renew Deal]

3. Who's helicopters are those.

Because I don't think the UN has an army.

[Adsos Letter]

4. Russian manufacture; provided as part of UN force assigned to Ivory Coast, I suppose.

[SpartanDem]

5. The UN has it's own eqiupment

the peacekeeprs staff are from various militaries

[joshcryer]

6. Holy shit, the UN actually acted for a change?

Rather than sitting on the sidelines observing atrocities?

Wow!