Another attack on Ivory Coast
-Liberia blamed
Top Liberian security agencies have begun investigation into a reported cross-border attack on an army based in neighboring Cote D’Ivoire by unknown gunmen alleged to be from Liberia.
An online website Herald Scotland reported on Sunday that the gunmen crossed the border from Liberia and launched a pre-dawn attack on an army base in western Ivory Coast, killing at least two soldiers, quoting a local member of parliament.
The report said the assault on the town of Grabo was the third deadly raid in the area in less than a year. It further quoted the Ivorian Politician Yaya Coulibaly saying gunfire erupted at around 3am and an exchange of fire between the assailants and Ivorian soldiers lasted over an hour.
Ivory Coast’s government has blamed previous attacks on supporters of ex-president Laurent Gbagbo, who are based in Liberia.
Liberia’s Information Minister Lewis Brown in response to a New Dawn inquiry via text on Sunday January 11, 2015 said in a written response that the Liberian Government is concerned about the report and that the relevant security agencies are seriously investigating the matter.
“The Government of Liberia is concerned about news reports of recent attacks in border towns and villages of Cote D’Ivoire. Consistent with the policies of good neighborliness and a commitment to regional peace and security, the relevant Liberian security agencies are seriously investigating these reports as well as engaging their counterparts in Abidjan,” the statement said.
It further noted “The Liberian government is fully committed to work with and support the Ivorian authorities and international partners in strengthening border security, regional peace and stability, as well as raid our countries of the mutually destabilizing activities of non-state actors.”
