Three dead after protests around country
At least three people died on Friday in clashes between demonstrators and security forces in western Côte d'Ivoire, according to medical sources. Hospital workers in the town of Gagnoa said that three bodies were brought to them with gunshot wounds and one injured person was brought in, also with gunshot wounds.
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Police confirmed that there were "some" dead, but did not give a figure.
A march took place early on Friday morning in protest at President Laurent Gbagbo's decision to dissolve the country's electoral commission and to sack the government.
Protests have taken place all this week but today's were the first reported casualties.
A coordinator with the youth branch of the Democratic Party, Gildas Konan, accused the security forces of using live rounds to break up the protest in Gagnoa.
"The police and gendarmerie forces charged the demonstrators using live ammunition," he said.
And in Bingerville in the south of the country the army used tear gas and fired in the air in order to disperse demonstrators. Police say that "everything has returned to normal".
In Tiebissou, several people were hurt during a protest Friday, according to an opposition official.
But protests took place without incident in Tanda (east), Niakara (north) and Man (west).
Prime Minister Guillaume Soro has until Saturday to form a new government after Gbagbo dissolved the previous government last week.
Elections have been postponed several times since 2005 and were due to be held in March this year.
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