(7 Apr 2011) SHOTLIST
1. Various of foreign civilians (adults and children) being evacuated onto French military vehicles under armed guard by French troops
2. French soldiers helping foreign civilians put on helmets and flak jackets
3. Interior of a hotel lobby and foreign civilians (adults and children) waiting to be evacuated
4. People standing with their luggage
5. Set up shot of civilian being interviewed
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Iman Taleb, Foreign Civilian in Abidjan:
"I never thought we would get to this point, where all the civilians are caught in a trap. There is no end in sight. We don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. Every day we say tomorrow it's going to be over, and it doesn't finish."
7. Two shots of foreign civilians wearing helmets and flak jackets in army vehicle waiting to be evacuated
8. Convoy of army vehicles carrying evacuees drives past
9. Various of convoy of army vehicles carrying evacuees
STORYLINE
French peacekeeping troops in the Ivory Coast have begun evacuating foreign civilians from the violence-torn capital, Abidjan.
Civilians, including children, were led to waiting military vehicles on Thursday, under armed guard by French troops, who helped them into protective gear for their journey to an undisclosed location.
One civilian said he never thought they would have to leave the city, where fighting is continuing between forces loyal to Ivory Coast's internationally recognised president Alassane Ouattara, and supporters of strongman leader, Laurent Gbagbo.
Gbagbo remains in an underground bunker and has refused to give up power.
Forces allied with Ouattara have stormed the gates of Gbagbo's home but are fearful of killing the entrenched leader and stoking the rage of his supporters.
Some 46 percent of Ivorians voted for Gbagbo in the November election that unleashed political chaos.
Ouattara has pleaded with the international community for months to intervene and remove Gbagbo by force, arguing he wouldn't leave any other way.
Despite losing the election, Gbagbo still controls the Ivorian army and has repeatedly used its arsenal of heavy artillery to attack areas of Abidjan where people voted for his opponent.
The move to evacuate civilians from the capital on Thursday came after French forces rescued the Japanese ambassador and seven others, after fighters attacked them on Wednesday night.
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