Mobs Fuel Violence in Ivory Coast

Mobs loyal to the Ivory Coast government have attacked immigrants and set fire to their shanty towns in the commercial capital, Abidjan, in another sign that the recent military uprising has stirred ethnic and religious conflict.

Police units and civilians armed with whips and clubs have looted and burned shacks belonging to workers from the mainly Muslim north and neighbouring countries.

The violence has sent a column of smoke over the lagoon city.

More violence was feared last night after tens of thousands of government supporters marched through Abidjan to denounce the two-week-old insurgency which has seen up to 40% of the west African country fall into rebel hands.

The mobs have so far ignored the larger shanty towns, and most of the city has remained peaceful but tense.

The mainly Christian south has accused neighbouring Burkina Faso of backing the rebels, who in recent days have seized more territory, declared their intention of overthrowing the government, and given themselves the name the Patriotic Movement of Ivory Coast.

Ivory Coast government forces abandoned the town of Sakassou without much of a fight on Sunday, according to residents, and on Tuesday the rebels took the town of Seguela, 315 miles north of Abidjan.

Foreign ministers representing the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) were due in the coastal city yesterday to try to mediate between the two sides. The organisation is assembling a peacekeeping force capable of intervening with or without a ceasefire.

After initially promising to crush the mutineers, President Laurent Gbagbo has said he will agree to a mutual ceasefire.

The Ecowas foreign ministers have made contact with the rebels, but no date or venue for talks was agreed.

Since the September 19 uprising, the rebels have inflated their demands from improved conditions within the army to the ousting of Mr Gbagbo and fresh elections.

Western diplomats say that the rebels are disciplined, motivated and well-organised.

Little is known of the group's leadership, but many of the officers involved are believed to have been behind a failed coup three years ago which threw a regional economic success story into turmoil.