Washington, DC — Just under 200 U.S. troops may imminently be deployed in Cote dIvoire. Pentagon spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Don Sewell told allAfrica.com that "at the request of the U.S. ambassador to Ivory Coast, the U.S. European Command is sending troops based in Germany to the region to help promote the safety of American citizens."
Last Thursday, heavy gunfire was reported near the International Christian Academy in Bouake, Cote dIvoire's second largest city, 220 miles north of Abidjan, frightening students and staff, some 160 of whom are U.S. citizens. The school primarily serves children of missionaries posted throughout West Africa.
Clint Morgan, a research consultant and missionary with the Free Will Baptist Foreign Missions based in Nashville, Tenn. which has missionaries throughout the region says they are in hourly contact with the school. Morgan told allAfrica that while they do not feel that the school is being deliberately targeted, "it is in the line of fire, caught in the crossfire." There are times of "intense fighting, then lulls", says Morgan. "Mortars fly over the top of school buildings. 50mm shells smash into walls.
"Troops are running up and down the highway and they all seem to be wearing the same uniform. We don't know who is who. It's frightening and we want those students out of there," said Morgan.
Sewell declined to say whether the mission of U.S. troops was to evacuate students and staff, or to provide any details of the U.S. military operation underway. Sewell said he could not even confirm that troops would land in Cote dIvoire, only that "they are moving to a location in the region."
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Sources say that the troops will land in neighboring Ghana first and remain there while making a final assessment of the situation and to refine details of coordination with the Cote dIvoire military and French troops. France flew military reinforcements into Abidjan early Sunday and dispatched a battalion from Gabon, Tuesday. Some 560 French troops are permanently stationed in the West African nation.
"We've urged the government to do all it can to avoid further bloodshed and continue to respect the human rights of all citizens and residents of Cote d'Ivoire," said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher, Tuesday, "and we urge them to continue the process of national reconciliation."
Last week the State Department issued a public announcement telling Americans to defer travel to the country and urged the approximately 2,000 U.S. citizens already in the country to stay at home.
