ABIDJAN, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Dissident former rebels in Ivory Coast attacked a jail in the northern city of Bouake on Friday to free a detained comrade, and set loose hundreds of other prisoners, military officers said. Residents reported bursts of gunfire in the city after dark although it was not clear who was shooting. The unrest highlights mounting instability in the world's top cocoa grower after another internal feud last month within the New Forces, the former rebel movement which has controlled the north of the divided country since a brief 2002-2003 war. "They shot at the prison because they were not happy when we arrested one of their men. This was an internal problem," a New Forces officer said. "I don't know how many people got out but when we finished counting we could say that it was about half of them," said the officer, who asked not to be named. About 2,000 prisoners were being held there before the attack. A United Nations peacekeeper and an officer from the Integrated Command Centre, part of a new army being forged from fighters from both sides in the war, confirmed the incident. Clashes in the western town of Seguela between forces loyal to Issiaka Ouattara "Wattao" and dissidents challenging him killed nine people in November. It was not immediately clear whether Friday's violence was related. Elections aimed at ending a 6-year crisis were due to be held on Nov. 30 but have been put on hold due to delays identifying voters and disarming former fighters on both sides. (Reporting by Ange Aboa; Writing by David Lewis; Editing by Alistair Thomson and Angus MacSwan)
RNPS IMAGES OF THE YEAR 2008 French soldiers with the LICORNE force in Ivory Coast take part in a training exercise in Man September 24, 2008. French peacekeepers in Ivory Coast ...
