- As experienced aid workers they have seen some of the
world's worst conflict zones. But nowhere, they believe, was as dangerous
as the Ivory Coast capital of Abidjan when thousands of Africans rioted,
intent on robbing, raping or killing foreigners.
-
- Peter Robinson, a Scottish-Canadian architect who turned
to voluntary work to get fit, has dealt with the Taliban in Afghanistan,
found a mass grave in Kosovo and worked in Iraq.
-
- His ebullient French colleague, Pierre Bourguignon, is
a veteran of emergency evacuations from several trouble spots and has vivid
memories of a Kalashnikov rifle being prodded at his throat in southern
Sudan.
-
- They might be expected to have hardier nerves than most.
But both say they were terrified when mobs of "young patriots"
loyal to President Laurent Gbagbo took to the streets 12 days ago in response
to calls to avenge France's destruction of the entire Ivory Coast air force.
-
- They confirmed claims by officials in Paris that European
expatriates, especially the 14,000 French people living in their country's
former colony, were the specific target of the protesters. Dozens of white
women were allegedly raped during the worst of the rioting on the nights
of Nov 6 and 7.
-
- Mr Robinson, 52, and Mr Bourguignon, 62, a former restaurateur,
work for Merlin, one of three causes chosen to benefit from this year's
Telegraph Christmas Charity Appeal.
-
- Both are now resting in Mr Bourguignon's home village
near Chateau-Thierry, in France's Champagne-producing region.
-
- The two men were in different parts of the Ivory Coast,
where the British charity is setting up health centres and schools, when
they heard of the attack by Mr Gbagbo's forces in rebel-held territory
to the north.
-
- Nine French soldiers were killed along with an American
scientist, provoking France's instant retaliation against the Ivorian military
air fleet.
-
- Heading back to their homes in Abidjan, they heard of
demonstrations.
-
- "I got my driver to take what I thought would be
an indirect but safe route," said Mr Bourguignon. "But we ran
into a crowd of about 1,000 people. As the only white in our group, I was
hiding under the luggage."
-
- Two French schools and several French-owned businesses
and homes were looted. Mr Robinson was one of three white people who hid
in a residential complex, protected by African workers who assured protesters
that no white workers were there.
-
- Both men later opened an evacuation centre for foreigners
until they, too, were flown to France after five days.
-
- "There were some very frightened people," said
Mr Robinson. "One poor French girl was shaking like a leaf. A French-Ghanaian
girl was badly beaten around the breasts."
-
- A group of Lebanese women, a mother with her daughter
and two employees, had all been raped.
-
- "It's something they cannot report to anyone in
their community," said Mr Bourguignon.
-
- Mr Robinson served in Baghdad until the threat to westerners
forced Merlin to pull out its staff. "But at least in Iraq, I felt
it was a question of not being caught," he said.
-
- "Only two or three per cent of the population wished
you harm. I never felt anything like the same danger as when tens of thousands
of people wanted to kill me because I am white." Merlin prides itself
on emergency relief.
-
- Mr Robinson said the EU-funded mission in the Ivory Coast
was continuing.
-
- "After Iraq, I was offered Georgia or the Ivory
Coast," he said. "I am beginning to wonder if I made the right
choice. But there must be something about people like us that makes us
do it, and love doing it."
-
- © Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2004.
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