UN and France begin evacuation

France and the United Nations have started evacuating thousands of French and other expatriates trapped at UN offices and a French military base amid days of anti-foreigner rampages in Ivory Coast’s largest city, French and UN officials said.

Evacuations started this morning with a convoy of 40 UN personnel, UN spokesman Philippe Mathieu said.

The 40 were among more than 1,000 expatriates who have been holed up in UN headquarters amid four days of looting and attacks, Mathieu said.

Heavily-armed French forces manned a roadblock on the way to Ivory Coast’s international airport, which is now controlled by the French military and reopening today for what were expected to be days of flights out.

The flights would also evacuate more than 1,600 expatriates who have taken refuge at a French military base in Abidjan, French officials said.