Ivorian rebels 'ready to fight French'

French troops have exchanged gunfire with rebels

The main rebel group in Ivory Coast says it is ready to fight French troops deployed as peacekeepers in the country.

A spokesman for the Patriotic Movement of Ivory Coast (MPCI) Guillaume Soro said the fact that France had decided to send reinforcements to Ivory Coast showed it was deviating from its peacekeeping mission and becoming a force of occupation.

The French force in Ivory Coast is deviating from its mission and becoming a true force of occupation

Guillaume Soro, MPCI chief negotiator

So far, the 1,200 troops deployed in France's former colony have been monitoring a shaky ceasefire between government forces and the rebels who now control the north of the country.

The first contingent of reinforcements is due to fly into Ivory Coast on Saturday.

They will have a broader mandate than the one they currently hold, and be able to enforce the ceasefire.

The BBC's Paul Welsh in Ivory Coast's commercial capital, Abidjan says the MPCI believes the French are taking sides with the government.

Deviation

Chief rebel negotiator Guillaume Soro issued the warning to the French troops at a news conference in Togo's capital Lome, where peace talks have so far failed to end the Ivorian conflict.

"The French force in Ivory Coast is deviating from its mission and becoming a true force of occupation. In light of this, the MPCI will fight and its forces are ready to take up the challenge of war," Mr Soro said.

Both sides have been recruiting

"The troops of the MPCI are ready to fight with the soldiers and the mercenaries of [Ivory Coast President Laurent] Gbagbo and any other foreign army which is a player or an accomplice in the genocide."

Mr Soro said the rebels were demanding the "pure and simple departure of France from Ivory Coast".

But the French troops say they are there to stay.

Speaking to the BBC French service, Colonel Christian Baptiste of the French army said: "We will do more now and get a bit more involved in the stabilisation process created by the ceasefire accords."

Talks fail

As part of efforts to end the war, France has also said it will call a summit in Paris of all Ivory Coast players, as well as African leaders involved in the crisis.

"The MPCI will be invited to Paris, if it shows itself to be a political force," French foreign ministry spokesman Francois Rivasseau said on Friday.

Seven Ivorian political parties have signed a document in which they call for the liberation of the rebel-held zones and urge respect for constitutional legality and territorial integrity.

MPCI rebels condemned the meeting, and suspended their participation in the Togo peace talks.

The presidents of Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana and Togo are due to meet on Monday to try to take the talks forward.

At least 400 people have been killed since the uprising by disgruntled soldiers, and hundreds of thousands displaced by the fighting.