Hundreds of residents of Ivory Coast's financial capital streamed into bus stations Saturday to flee deadly post-election violence in Abidjan.
Families laden with bags crowded into Youpogon bus station in the east and Adjame bus station in the north of Abidjan, saying they were fleeing to their native villages.
Adjame and Yopougon were this week hit by violent confrontations between forces loyal to strongman Laurent Gbagbo and rebels supporting Alassane Ouattara, internationally recognised as Ivorian president after a disputed election in November.
Gbagbo's forces were accused of massacring civilians in Abidjan this week after mortar shells killed up to 30 people at a market on Thursday, according to the UN.
"I am afraid," said Marguerite, a mother surrounded by her four children. "I am leaving Abidjan to take refuge in the village."
Another resident identifying himself as Tanoh said they had been ordered to leave, without saying by whom.
"The order is clear, we must leave Abidjan, we have been asked to leave," he said. "I have seen dead bodies in my suburb, I can't handle it."
The exodus began ahead of a speech later Saturday by Gbagbo's fiery Youth Minister and leader of the "Young Patriots" Charles Ble Goude. He was to address a meeting in Yopougon, a stronghold of the outgoing president.
On Monday he promised to launch an "historic call for the freedom of Ivory Coast."
The United Nations estimates some 440 people have died since the beginning of the crisis in the world's top cocoa producer.
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