Rebels battle for city despite peace drive

Rebels battled government forces today for a city in Ivory Coast’s cocoa belt, despite a renewed drive by West African peace envoys trying to negotiate an end to the fighting.

As mediators flew north by helicopter to meet rebel leaders in the central city of Bouake, the government said its troops were battling rebel attacks to the west, on the city of Daloa. Ivorian army spokesman Col Jules Yao Yao said the insurgents’ offensive started on Saturday north of Daloa and that fighting was still going on tonday.