2004 French–Ivorian clashes

Ivorian-French clashes of 2004
Part of the Ivorian Civil War and Opération Licorne
Map (click to enlarge)
Date 6 November 2004 Location Côte d'Ivoire Result Decisive French victory
Belligerents
Côte d'Ivoire	France
Commanders and leaders
Laurent Gbagbo	Jacques Chirac
Strength
Unknown	4,000
Casualties and losses
20-60 killed 2 planes destroyed 5 helicopters destroyed	9 killed 37 wounded 1 aircraft damaged
1 US citizen killed

In 2004, an armed conflict took place between France and Côte d'Ivoire. On 6 November 2004, Ivorians launched an air attack on French peacekeepers in the northern part of Côte d'Ivoire who were stationed there as part of Operation Unicorn (French: Opération Licorne), the French military operation in support of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI). French military forces subsequently clashed with Ivorian troops and government-loyal mobs, destroying the entire Ivorian Air Force. Those incidents were followed by massive anti-French protests in Côte d'Ivoire.

In 2002, a civil war broke out in Côte d'Ivoire between Ivorian military and other forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, the Ivorian president since 2000, and rebel forces identified with the Forces Nouvelles de Côte d'Ivoire. Although most of the fighting ended by late 2004, the country remained split in two, with a rebel-held north and a government-held south.

Gbagbo ordered air strikes on Ivorian rebels. On 6 November 2004, at least one Ivorian Sukhoi Su-25 bomber attacked a French peacekeeping position in the rebel town of Bouaké at 1 pm, killing nine French soldiers and wounding 31. An American development worker, reported to have been a missionary, was also killed. The Ivorian government claimed the attack on the French was unintentional, but the French insisted that the attack had been deliberate.

Several hours after the attack French President Jacques Chirac ordered the destruction of the Ivorian air force and the seizure of Yamoussoukro airport. The French military performed an overland attack on the airport, destroying two Sukhoi Su-25 ground attack aircraft and three helicopter gunships. Two more military helicopters were destroyed during combat in the skies over Abidjan. France then flew in 300 troops and put three Dassault Mirage F.1 jet fighters based in nearby Gabon on standby.

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