▁west . ▁▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁Unity ▁Government ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁G bag bo ▁and ▁re bel ▁leaders ▁signed ▁acc ords ▁creating ▁a ▁" g overn ment ▁of ▁national ▁unity ". ▁Cur f ew s ▁were ▁lifted , ▁and ▁French ▁troops ▁pat rolled ▁the ▁western ▁border ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁The ▁unity ▁government ▁was ▁un stable , ▁and ▁central ▁problems ▁remained , ▁with ▁neither ▁side ▁ach ieving ▁its ▁goals . ▁In ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁ 1 2 0 ▁people ▁were ▁killed ▁at ▁an ▁opposition ▁r ally , ▁and ▁subsequent ▁mob ▁violence ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁ev acu ation ▁of ▁foreign ▁national s . ▁A ▁later ▁report ▁concluded ▁the ▁kill ings ▁were ▁planned . ▁Though ▁UN ▁peace keep ers ▁were ▁deployed ▁to ▁maintain ▁a ▁" Zone ▁of ▁Conf idence ", ▁relations ▁between ▁G bag bo ▁and ▁the ▁opposition ▁continued ▁to ▁d eter ior ate . ▁ ▁Early ▁in ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁after ▁the ▁peace ▁agreement ▁had ▁effectively ▁col lapsed ▁because ▁the ▁reb els ▁refused ▁to ▁dis arm , ▁G bag bo ▁ordered ▁a irst rik es ▁against ▁the ▁reb els . ▁During ▁one ▁of ▁these ▁a irst rik es ▁in ▁Bou ak é , ▁on ▁ 6 ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁French ▁soldiers ▁were ▁hit , ▁and ▁nine ▁were ▁killed ; ▁the ▁I vor ian ▁government ▁said ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁mistake , ▁but ▁the ▁French ▁claimed ▁it ▁was ▁deliber ate . ▁They ▁respond ed ▁by ▁destroy ing