BBC protests journalist's beating

Soldiers violently broke up the demonstration

The BBC has protested to the military government of Ivory Coast following an attack on a BBC reporter.

The reporter, an Ivorian national, Mohammed Fofanah Dara, was punched and beaten about the head with a butt of a rifle by soldiers breaking up an anti-government demonstration despite telling the military that he was a fully accredited correspondent.

Soldiers used whips and tear-gas to break up a student protest in the main city, Abidjan.

Witnesses said some of the protesters were stripped naked by the military and forced to crawl along the road.

The BBC said in a protest note to the authorities that nothing justified the inhuman treatment of its reporter.

The demonstrators are believed to be supporters of the former prime minister, Alassane Ouattara, who could be barred from standing in September's presidential elections by a new constitution which requires all candidates to be born of Ivorian parents.

Anti-French slogans

Last Friday, a rival group of students briefly occupied the French embassy in Abidjan, accusing France, the former colonial power, of meddling in the internal affairs of Ivory Coast.

Alassane Ouattara: Prevented from travelling to France

Their protests followed remarks made by French Co-operation Minister Charles Josselin that nobody should be excluded from presidential elections, interpreted in some quarters as support for Mr Ouattara.

France has since said Ivory Coast must organise elections that are above reproach.

General Robert Guei, the military leader who came to power in a coup d'etat last year, which shattered this country's hitherto peaceful image, appears to be considering standing in the elections himself.

But his political opponents say it would be wrong for an army man to break the long and, for Africa, unusual line of civilian governments here.

Our correspondent says that pro and anti-government demonstrations are beginning to turn ugly as the stakes rise.

Ethnic row

Mr Ouattara, was prevented from leaving for France last week, despite the lifting of travel restrictions on leaders of political parties.

His opponents say he is from neighbouring Burkina Faso.

He says he is Ivorian.

The row has exposed ethnic tensions in what used to be one of West Africa's most stable countries.

Ivory Coast has a population of about 19 million, but about 40% are immigrants - mostly plantation workers from neighbouring states - who cannot vote.