From BBC Africa Service Wednesday 9 October 2002  10:10 GMT

Mutinous soldiers in Ivory Coast have rejected a call by President Laurent
Gbagbo to disarm ahead of negotiations. A spokesman for the rebels said that
Mr Gbagbo only made his first direct appeal to them after failing to oust
them from the second city of Bouake

In a televised national address on Tuesday night, Mr Gbagbo also urged
people not to attack foreigners.

African immigrants, especially from neighbouring Burkina Faso, have been
attacked and robbed after the government initially said that foreign powers
were behind last month's attempted coup.

Ivory Coast is the richest country in West Africa and up to a third of its
inhabitants are of foreign origin, after years when immigrants were
officially encouraged to work in the country's cocoa and coffee plantations.

No trust

"He is playing games and I don't trust what he says," said Bouake's rebel
commander, Warrant Officer Tuo Fozie.

"We're not going to lay down our weapons before negotiations."
Despite a week of talks organised by the Economic Community of West African
States (Ecowas), a ceasefire agreement was not signed last weekend.

However Ecowas secretary general Mohamed ibn Chambas told the BBC that he
had not given up trying to end the fighting.

The BBC's correspondent in Ivory Coast, Paul Welsh, says rebels still
control Bouake, the second-largest city, despite government claims that it
had been recaptured.

They control around half of the country, mostly in the largely Muslim north,
reports the French news agency, AFP.

Foreigners targeted

Neighbouring nations have complained about the treatment of their citizens.

"I want to tell Ivorians that the foreigners are not our problem right now.
Our fight is a fight to free our country and not to attack foreigners," Mr
Gbagbo said.  "Do not attack foreigners," he added.

And Mr Gbagbo made a particular appeal to his countrymen urging them not to
attack the French. The French ambassador earlier criticised the Ivory Coast
state media for being anti-French and anti-foreigner. He accused them of
encouraging attacks on those from abroad.

French citizens have been targeted by many of the president's supporters
after opposition leader Alassane Ouattara was given shelter in the French
embassy after he claimed an attempt was made on his life by government
forces. Hundreds of French citizens and other westerns were evacuated from
Bouake by French forces following the uprising.




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