Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Apr 5, 2011 / 09:55 am
While cease-fire negotiations are underway in the Ivory Coast, Vatican charity Caritas Internationalis condemned violence in the country that killed 1,000 civilians over the span of three days.
Caritas called for a “proper investigation” into who is responsible for the massacre that left hundreds dead and missing in the city of Duekoué during clashes from March 27 through March 29.
The Ivory Coast was facing the prospect of civil war, with outgoing president Laurent Gbagbo recruiting thousands of young people to fight on his behalf against domestic and international backers of his rival, president-elect Alassane Ouattara.
As of April 5, however, Gbagbo is reported to have surrendered and called for cease-fire negotiations.