Ivory Coast ruling party demands French leave, urges people to take to streets

ABIDJAN, Nov 7 (AFP) - The leader of President Laurent Gbagbo's party, the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), demanded Sunday that France withdraw its troops immediately from the west African country.
The FPI "demands the immediate departure of all French troops from the Ivory Coast," Pascal Affi N'Guessan said in a message aired repeatedly over national television.
The party also called on "patriots" -- as Gbagbo's supporters are known -- to "descend massively into the streets of Abidjan and all the cities of the country this minute and prevent by any means the free movement of any foreign force ... until final victory, which is the liberation and reunification of our country."

11/07/2004 14:18 GMT - AFP