A ceasefire between the government and rebels in Ivory Coast appears to be holding even as officials charge insurgents with violations.
A government military spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Jules Yao-Yao, said rebels have already violated a part of the deal, accusing them of looting the homes of military commanders in the rebel stronghold, Bouake. He did not say whether the government would respond by launching an attack.
Some rebel soldiers in Bouake say they do not support the ceasefire deal agreed to last week. Over the weekend, they held a rally and called for the ouster of President Laurent Gbagbo.
There are also reports from residents of the western town of Daloa of fresh civilian killings. Government forces and rebels fought fierce battles for Daloa last week with loyalist forces finally winning control of the key cocoa-producing town.
More more than 1,000 French soldiers have fanned out across the country to temporarily oversee the truce. French troops are creating a buffer zone between the two sides until a regional peacekeeping force is in place.
Ivory Coast's government and the rebels agreed to a ceasefire last Thursday after mediation by West African leaders. Both sides also said they would begin peace talks sometime this week.
The conflict began September 19, when hundreds of former soldiers staged a military uprising, angered by government plans to fire them. The rebels took over a huge swath of territory in the north and demanded President Gbagbo's resignation.
The fighting killed hundreds of people and forced thousands to flee their homes.
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