French soldiers stand guard at the international airport while
mediators board a plane to Yamoussoukro for the signing of a ceasefire
agreement October 5, 2002, which was later postponed for a second time.
Gunfire erupted on the outskirts of Ivory Coast's rebel stronghold of
Bouake on Sunday and rebels said they had come under attack from
government forces. The latest outbreak of fighting was certain to
complicate efforts by West African mediators to secure a ceasefire to
end an 18-day insurgency that has left hundreds dead and terrified the
troubled region. Picture taken October 5, 2002.REUTERS/Juda Ngwenya

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