"Fighting in Abidjan, US pledges $12.6 million for refugees "

"Three people in Côte d'Ivoire have been killed in an area of Abidjan that supports former president Laurent Gbagbo located in a district that is a stronghold of his challenger Alassane Ouattara. And on Monday, after fighting intensified on the western border towards Liberia over the weekend, US President Barack Obama announced millions of dollars in aid to refugees.

Gbagbo’s government said "rebels" attacked the Abidjan district of Abobo overnight from Sunday to Monday, sparking new fighting.

Three people were killed, 30 wounded and many other displaced, "including 700 now sheltered in a Catholic church," his interior ministry said in a statement.

Abobo was the site of fighting between Gbagbo and Ouattara supporters last month, when 26 people were killed in one week and some 200,000 people were forced to leave their homes.

It is unclear who Gbagbo’s forces are fighting, as the fighters claim to fighting independently and Ouattara's camp denies being involved.

Meanwhile, many people have fled towars Libera, fearing a counter attack after fighters allied with Ouattara took the town of Toulepleu from Gbagbo forces on Sunday.

US President Barack Obama on Monday announced 12.6 million dollars (nine million euros) in humanitarian aid for refugees displaced by violence in Côte d'Ivoire.

Meanwhile, in its latest bid to end the stalemate between Gbagbo and Ouattara, who is supported by the international community, the African Union invited the two to talks at its base in Addis Ababa on Thursday.

Ouattara said he was ready to attend but Gbagbo has not yet commented.
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http://www.english.rfi.fr/africa/20110307-fighting-abidjan-us-pledges-126-million-refugees