Officials say no civilians were harassed

Government officials in the commercial capital, Abidjan, have said no reprisals have occurred against innocent people since a coup attempt was foiled on 19 September.

They however said some people had been asked to move from the vicinity of security locations for their safety.

Foreign Ministry officials told IRIN on Thursday that any destruction of property that may have been occurred, was not deliberate. Instead it resulted during security operations to search for suspected mutineers who were believed to be hiding among the civilian populations.

According to the officials, no movement of refugees had also occurred in the Zone d'Accueil des refugies (ZAR), where Cote d'Ivoire hosts some 110,000 refugees from Liberia and Sierra Leone. They said Cote d'Ivoire respects international conventions on refugees and will not harass any person who lives in the country.

"The security forces were searching for those suspected to have been involved in the coup. But there was no deliberate action against innocent people - whether they were foreigners or Ivorian," the officials said.

Relief workers on Sunday told IRIN that at least 5,000 people were displaced and hundreds of residential shelters burnt down in the suburbs of Abidjan, in reprisals that followed Thursday's failed coup attempt.

According to the sources, the displaced included a number of Ivorians and some immigrants.