AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE,
ABIDJAN: One French soldier was killed and another seriously injured Friday when their helicopter crashed in the Ivory Coast, the French peacekeeping mission in the west African nation said.
He was the 23rd French soldier killed in Ivory coast since the French peacekeeping mision was deployed there in 2002. Another solider died in an accident in April.
“On Friday around 1:30 pm (1330 GMT) a Gazelle helicopter from the Licorne force on an escort mission crashed in a non-inhabited area for unknown reasons,” said a statement from the French peackeeping force known as Licorne.
“The helicopter was destroyed and the Licorne force regrets one death and one serious injury,” said the statement.
The crash took place in the Dimbokro area some 250 kilometers (150 miles) north of the economic capital Abidjan, in a sector controlled by the government of President Laurent Gbagbo.
Only the pilot and the co-pilot were on board at the time of the crash, Licorne spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Philippe Perret told AFP.
An investigation into the cause of the crash was launched.
In Paris, Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie issued a statement expressing her “profound sadness” over the crash “deep condolences to the family of the victim and for a quick recovery to the injured” soldier.
France has some 4,000 soldiers deployed in Ivory Coast supporting 7,000 UN peacekeepers, patrolling a demilitarized zone between government and rebel forces.
Ivory Coast, once west Africa's economic powerhouse and hub of political stability, has been divided since a failed coup attempt against Gbagbo in September 2002 by rebel forces, who have controlled the north ever since.
