France bolsters Ivory Coast peace force

Up to 10,000 people turned up for the march

France is strengthening its military presence in Ivory Coast to protect western nationals there and enforce a truce between rebel groups and the government.

Given what we've seen in the last few days in Abidjan, we have deemed the situation to be a volatile one

Colonel Christian Baptiste

Paris began deploying some 450 soldiers to its former colony earlier this week, to back up 2,500 troops already in Ivory Coast, said a spokesman for the French armed forces.

Meanwhile, thousands of supporters of President Laurent Gbagbo have been demonstrating in the main city of Abidjan against the peace deal reached with the rebels 10 days ago to end the civil war.

The French deployment and the protest follow the United Nations Security Council's decision to give French and African troops in Ivory Coast a mandate to use force in order to protect civilians.

'Chirac assassin'

Nearly 200 extra gendarmes were sent last week by France to protect its 16,000 nationals in Ivory Coast, primarily in the economic capital, Abidjan.

And by the end of this week, France will have more than 3,000 troops there.

"Given what we've seen in the last few days in Abidjan, we have deemed the situation to be a volatile one," Colonel Christian Baptiste, a spokesman for the French armed forces, said.

Wednesday's demonstration was peaceful

There have been demonstrations in Abidjan against the French-brokered peace and French nationals and interests have been attacked, prompting France to ask non-essential residents to leave.

On Wednesday, thousands of protestors, many trade union members, demonstrated outside the French embassy in Abidjan, shouting their opposition to the pact which gives the rebels top posts in a unity government, the French news agency, AFP, reported.

Many waved the Ivorian flag or sported it on small conical hats.

Protesters sang reggae songs and shouted anti-French slogans, such as "Chirac assassin!".

Gbagbo address

The Security Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to back the French and West African troops' deployment with a review of the situation in six months' time.

Rebels in the divided West African state reportedly launched the first attacks on Tuesday since signing a ceasefire with the Ivorian Government in France on 24 January.

France will have more than 3,000 men in Ivory Coast

A rebel leader told the BBC that they would not give up the defence and interior ministry posts in a new power-sharing government which were reportedly promised them in France.

The UN called for the full and immediate implementation of the peace agreement.

Mr Gbagbo has still not explained the deal to the nation, as he had promised.

When the protests began, he trying to calm his supporters by calling the deal "proposals".