Mutinous soldiers have strengthened their hold on the northern half of Ivory Coast by taking control of a third city, local media reported on Saturday.
The city of Odienne near the northwestern border with Guinea fell without a fight to dissident troops, who also remained in control Saturday of two other key cities in the north, Bouake and Korhogo.
Rebellious soldiers launched simultaneous pre-dawn attacks on 19 September across Ivory Coast, the world’s largest cocoa producer and formerly West Africa’s most stable country. They say they are fighting against plans to demobilize them from the army, while the government is calling the revolt an attempted coup.
But observers said the rebels’ grip on the north – and the relative support they have received from the local population – makes the uprising look more and more like a civil war.
French troops on Friday evacuated the last foreign nationals from Bouake, Ivory Coast’s second-largest city.
French military officials said their forces transported about 2 000 civilians to the capital Yammoussoukro, 100 kilometres to the south, during a three-day operation.
Bouake remained in the hands of rebel troops on Saturday morning despite successive attacks by government forces and threats from Ivorian military officials that loyalist troops were poised for an all-out attack.
Hundreds of Ivorian residents of Bouake tried to flee the city on Friday, fearing a major battle, but witnesses said they were turned back at checkpoints by the dissident troops.
The rebels released Sports Minister Francois Amichia, who they had held captive in Bouake since the uprising began, according to local television.
An emergency summit of leaders from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) is scheduled to discuss the Ivory Coast unrest on Sunday.
Nigeria has sent three fighter jets and an unspecified number of troops to the aid of President Laurent Gbagbo, Nigerian defence officials said.
Nearly 400 people – mainly soldiers – have died in the uprising. – Sapa-DPA