Opération Licorne was a
French Armed Forces peacekeeping operation in support of the
United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire. The French forces had been stationed in the country since shortly after the outbreak of the
Ivorian Civil War. The troops' main mission was to support the United Nations peacekeeping mission and to ensure the security of French and foreign nationals.
Licorne was replaced on 21 January 2015 by the
French forces in Ivory Coast.
Mission
The "Force Licorne", which allegedly takes its name from the establishment in
Libreville, Gabon, from which the first contingents departed in September 2002, is commanded by a General Officer (COMANFOR, Force Commander), assisted by an associate Operations General.
The Force Licorne comprises battalion task groups (Groupements Tactiques Interarmes), which comprise infantry, cavalry, transport and logistics, health service, joint civil-military action groups, etc. As of 6 February 2007, there were three GTIAs: GTIA 1 in the west, GTIA 2 in the centre, and the 43rd GTIA formed around the 43rd BIMa of the
Troupes de Marine in Abidjan. The Force also comprises a battalion of the
French Army Light Aviation (BATALAT), a logistics battalion (BATLOG), squadrons of the
Mobile Gendarmerie (militarised riot police), squadrons of the
Gendarmerie prévôtale (military police), and a troop transport group from the
French Air Force.
Since March 2008, the structure has changed, with the logistic battalion and the GTIA43 dissolved and the logistics and support functions provided together by the BSVIA, a joint services support base stationed at Port-Bouët.
The Force Licorne and the
ONUCI are known in Côte d'Ivoire as "Impartial Forces".
The cost of the operation is estimated at around 200 million Euros per annum.
History
This military operation started in September 2002 (at the start of the
Ivorian Civil War), independently of the United Nations, to honor the defense agreements signed in between France and
Côte d'Ivoire
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest city and ...
on 24 August 1961. France, and later the
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), sent large military contingents to separate the two sides. The military operation included more than 4000 men (down to 2400 in August 2007). The French authorities, who were supported by a UN resolution, alleged that this intervention avoided a civil war and widespread massacres.
An agreement among all the involved political forces was signed in France at
Marcoussis, on 24 January 2003.
On 4 April 2004, the ONUCI took over from the contingents of the ECOWAS, while the Force Licorne (then 4600 men), which remained under French command, stayed in place to support the United Nations force UNOCI.
Ivorian-French violence
On 6 November 2004, the Ivorian governmental air force carried out an attack on the French position in
Bouaké, causing nine deaths and 37 wounded in the French Military (2nd Marine Infantry Regiment (2 RIMa), the
Régiment d'infanterie-chars de marine (RICM, a light armoured regiment), 505th transport and logistics regiment). The French forces counterattacked, destroying the two Ivorian
Sukhoi Su-25s at the
Yamoussoukro base fifteen minutes after the attack.
French President
Jacques Chirac gave the order to destroy the entire Ivorian Air Force to prevent any further attacks by the National Army (FANCI) against the New Forces (Forces Nouvelles, FN) rebels, which would be contrary to the Marcoussis Agreements, and to forbid any further attacks against the French positions. The Ivorian air force has since been rebuilt.
In November of 2004, the French Army opened fire on Ivorian rioters, putting the Force Licorne in a delicate situation vis-à-vis the civilian population. The suspicious death of an Ivorian in May 2005 caused the suspension, then the formal reprimand and transfer of the Division General
Henri Poncet and of his Associate Operations General
Renaud de Malaussène, as well as the suspension of Colonel
Eric Burgaud, head of the 13th battalion of
Chasseurs Alpins and a non-Commissioned Officer from this same battalion by the then
Minister of Defense Michèle Alliot-Marie
Michèle Yvette Marie-Thérèse Jeanne Honorine Alliot-Marie (; born 10 September 1946), known in France as MAM, is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from France. She is a member of the The Republicans (France), Rep ...
.
A
WikiLeaks cable regarding Operation Licorne states: "the French are quite bitter about Cote d'Ivoire, once a crown jewel of France-Afrique, which spiraled into chaos after the death of one of France-Afrique's biggest advocates and beneficiaries, Houphouet-Boigny, reaching a nadir with the November 2004 bombing by Cote d'Ivoire of French forces in Bouake. Operation Licorne in Cote d'Ivoire, perhaps France's last unilateral military intervention in the old style, has cost France about €250 million per year, or well over a billion euro in total, without yielding decisive results."
Second civil war
In March 2011, the
ongoing crisis in Côte d'Ivoire escalated into a full-scale military conflict between forces loyal to
Laurent Gbagbo, the President of Côte d'Ivoire since 2000, and supporters of the internationally recognized president-elect
Alassane Ouattara.
Heavy fighting broke out on 31 March 2011 as forces of
Alassane Ouattara advanced on
Abidjan
Abidjan ( , ; N'Ko script, N'ko: ߊߓߌߖߊ߲߬) is the largest city and the former capital of Ivory Coast. As of the Demographics of Ivory Coast, 2021 census, Abidjan's population was 6.3 million, which is 21.5 percent of the overall population ...
from several directions. The United Nations peacekeepers took control of Abidjan's airport when Gbagbo's forces abandoned it, and United Nations forces were also reported to be carrying out protective security operations in the city. The UN peacekeeping mission said its headquarters were fired on by Gbabgo's special forces on 31 March and returned fire in an exchange lasting about three hours. UN convoys have also come under attack by Gbagbo loyalists four times since 31 March, with three peacekeepers injured in one of the attacks. The peacekeepers had exchanged fire with Gbagbo loyalists in several parts of the city.
By 2 April, 1,400 French and other foreign nationals (900 of whom were
Lebanese citizens) entered the French peacekeepers’ camp in
Abidjan Airport. The Lebanese president, U.N. officials, and French commanders provided assistance to facilitate the departure of the Lebanese, French, and African nationals who wished to leave Côte d'Ivoire.
On 4 April 2011, UN and French helicopters also began firing on pro-Gbagbo military installations; a French military spokesman said the attacks were aimed at heavy artillery and armoured vehicles.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing two UN
Mi-24P attack helicopters firing missiles at the Akouédo military camp in Abidjan. UN helicopters were flown by
Ukrainian Ground Forces crews seconded to the United Nations. The attacks sparked protests by a Gbagbo spokesperson, who said that such actions were "illegal, illegitimate and unacceptable."
UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon defended the actions, however, saying that "the
Nmission has taken this action in self-defence and to protect civilians."
He noted that Gbagbo’s forces had fired on United Nations patrols and attacked the organization’s headquarters in Abidjan “with heavy-caliber sniper fire as well as mortars and rocket-propelled grenades,” wounding four peacekeepers.
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
n Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov said that Russia intends to look into the legitimacy of the use of force by UN peacekeepers. The position of the Russian government was that any foreign interference would only lead to increasing violence.
On 9 April, pro-Gbagbo forces were reported to have fired on the Golf Hotel, where Ouattara was located.
The attackers reportedly used both sniper rifles and mortars; in response, UN peacekeepers fired on them.
The following day, United Nations and French forces carried out further air strikes against Gbagbo's remaining heavy weapons, using Mi-24 and
Aérospatiale Gazelle attack helicopters. The attack was reported to have caused heavy damage to the presidential palace.
On 11 April, Ouattara's forces stormed Gbagbo's residence and arrested him. The final assault was assisted by French forces using helicopters and armoured vehicles, although the actual capture was made by Ouattara's troops. Gbagbo, his wife, sons and about 50 members of his entourage were captured unharmed and were taken to the Golf Hotel, Ouattara's headquarters, where they were placed under United Nations guard.
See also
*
United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire
*
2004 French–Ivorian clashes
References
Sources
L'opération Licorne vue par la Légion étrangère
Codestria : Les dessous de l'opération Licorne
{{DEFAULTSORT:Licorne, Operation
21st century in Ivory Coast
Army units and formations of France
Battles involving the French Foreign Legion
Military operations involving France
Wars involving Ivory Coast