2004 French–Ivorian clashes
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Abidjan, Belarus, Bernard Kouchner, Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire, Dassault Mirage F.1, France, Gabon, Helicopter gunship, Ivorian Civil War, Ivory coast, Jacques Chirac, Laurent Gbagbo, Michel Barnier, Opération Licorne, Operation Licorne, President of the French Republic, Sukhoi Su-25, Ukraine, Washington Post, Yamoussoukro, A clash between the armed forces of Côte d'Ivoire and French peacekeepers took place on 6 November 2004. This involved an Ivorian air attack on French soldiers of Operation Licorne in the North of Côte d'Ivoire, after which the French military responded swiftly by destroying the entire Ivorian Air Force. Those incidents were followed by massive anti-French protests in Côte d'Ivoire. It was the most serious crisis between France and its former colony since independence in 1960.[1]
Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire (the current capital is Yamoussoukro). It is the largest city in the nation, and the third largest French speaking city in the world. It has, according to the authorities of the country in 2006, 5,068,858 residents in the metropolitan area and 3,796,677 residents in the municipality. Only Lagos, the former capital of Nigeria has a larger number of inhabitants in this region. Considered a cultural hub of West Africa or Africa, Abidjan in the 21st century is characterized by high industrialization and urbanization. The city stands in Ébrié Lagoon on several converging peninsulas and islands, connected by bridges.
Belarus
/ˈbɛləruːs/ (help·info) (Belarusian: Беларусь or Biełaruś, Russian: Беларусь) is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe,[3] bordered by Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the north. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno (Hrodna), Gomel (Homiel), Mahilyow (Mahiloŭ) and Vitebsk (Viciebsk). Forty percent of the country is forested,[4] and its strongest economic sectors are agriculture and manufacturing.
Bernard Kouchner (born 1 November 1939) is a French politician, diplomat, and doctor. He is co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) -- also known as Doctors Without Borders -- and Doctors of the World. He is currently the French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs in the right-wing Fillon government, although he was considered in the past to be a center-left politician.Bouaké (or Bwake) is the second largest city in Côte d'Ivoire, with a population of 775,300 (2002 census), and also the department of which the city is the center. Bouaké Department and Bouaké City lie in Vallée du Bandama Region.
Côte d'Ivoire (English pronunciation: /ˌkoʊt diˈvwɑr/; French: [kot diˈvwaʀ]), (officially the Republic ofCôte d'Ivoire), is a country in West Africa. Although it is commonly known in English as the Ivory Coast, the Ivorian government officially discourages this usage, preferring the French name Côte d'Ivoire to be used in all languages. Côte d'Ivoire has an area of 322,462 km2, and borders the countries of Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population, which was 15,366,672 in 1998,[6] is estimated to be 18,373,060 in 2008.[2]The Dassault Mirage F1 is a French single-seat air-superiority fighter and attack aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation as a successor of the Mirage III family. The Mirage F1 entered service in the French Air Force in the early seventies. Powered by a single SNECMA Atar turbojet providing about 7 tonnes-force (69 kN; 15,000 lbf) of thrust, the F1 has been used as a light multipurpose fighter and has been exported to about a dozen nations. More than 700 F1s have been produced.[1] Among the second generation European supersonic fighter (ie, among those built in the sixties and early seventies) the F1 was the most successful, most significantly because almost all of its users have used it in wars and regional conflicts.France (pronounced /ˈfræns/ (
listen) or /ˈfrɑːns/; French pronunciation (help·info): [fʁɑ̃s]), officially the French Republic (French: République française, pronounced: [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a member state of the European Union located in its western region, with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents.[12] France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its main ideals expressed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
Belarus
/ˈbɛləruːs/ (help·info) (Belarusian: Беларусь or Biełaruś, Russian: Беларусь) is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe,[3] bordered by Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the north. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno (Hrodna), Gomel (Homiel), Mahilyow (Mahiloŭ) and Vitebsk (Viciebsk). Forty percent of the country is forested,[4] and its strongest economic sectors are agriculture and manufacturing.Bernard Kouchner (born 1 November 1939) is a French politician, diplomat, and doctor. He is co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) -- also known as Doctors Without Borders -- and Doctors of the World. He is currently the French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs in the right-wing Fillon government, although he was considered in the past to be a center-left politician.Bouaké (or Bwake) is the second largest city in Côte d'Ivoire, with a population of 775,300 (2002 census), and also the department of which the city is the center. Bouaké Department and Bouaké City lie in Vallée du Bandama Region.
Côte d'Ivoire (English pronunciation: /ˌkoʊt diˈvwɑr/; French: [kot diˈvwaʀ]), (officially the Republic ofCôte d'Ivoire), is a country in West Africa. Although it is commonly known in English as the Ivory Coast, the Ivorian government officially discourages this usage, preferring the French name Côte d'Ivoire to be used in all languages. Côte d'Ivoire has an area of 322,462 km2, and borders the countries of Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population, which was 15,366,672 in 1998,[6] is estimated to be 18,373,060 in 2008.[2]The Dassault Mirage F1 is a French single-seat air-superiority fighter and attack aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation as a successor of the Mirage III family. The Mirage F1 entered service in the French Air Force in the early seventies. Powered by a single SNECMA Atar turbojet providing about 7 tonnes-force (69 kN; 15,000 lbf) of thrust, the F1 has been used as a light multipurpose fighter and has been exported to about a dozen nations. More than 700 F1s have been produced.[1] Among the second generation European supersonic fighter (ie, among those built in the sixties and early seventies) the F1 was the most successful, most significantly because almost all of its users have used it in wars and regional conflicts.France (pronounced /ˈfræns/ (
listen) or /ˈfrɑːns/; French pronunciation (help·info): [fʁɑ̃s]), officially the French Republic (French: République française, pronounced: [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a member state of the European Union located in its western region, with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents.[12] France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its main ideals expressed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.