Two weeks after a disputed presidential runoff election, the political crisis in Cote d'Ivoire continues, with protests in various parts of the country reportedly resulting in 18 deaths and 90 injuries. Presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara and his Cabinet are headquartered in the Golf Hotel in Abidjan, and Ouattara's supporters have clashed with government security forces loyal to incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo in surrounding districts. An attempted march on the state television channel Radiodiffusion Television Ivoirienne (RTI) on Dec. 16 was broken up by government forces, and brief clashes near the Golf Hotel resulted in the U.S. Embassy's being hit with an errant rocket-propelled grenade. There were also reports of three deaths in Adjame, one in Koumassi and three more in Abobo, and riot police fired tear gas at 500 protesters in Treichville. With another march planned for Dec. 17, this time targeting the presidential palace in Le Plateau district, which is certain to be more heavily guarded than the RTI building, more bloodshed is likely.
