. ▁What ▁exactly ▁happened ▁that ▁night ▁is ▁also ▁disput ed . ▁The ▁government ▁claimed ▁that ▁former ▁president ▁Robert ▁Gu é ï ▁led ▁a ▁coup ▁attempt , ▁and ▁state ▁TV ▁showed ▁pictures ▁of ▁his ▁dead ▁body ▁in ▁the ▁street ; ▁counter - c laim s ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁and ▁ 1 5 ▁others ▁had ▁been ▁murder ed ▁at ▁his ▁home , ▁and ▁his ▁body ▁had ▁been ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁streets ▁to ▁inc rim inate ▁him . ▁A lass ane ▁O u att ara ▁took ▁refuge ▁in ▁the ▁German ▁emb ass y ; ▁his ▁home ▁had ▁been ▁burn ed ▁down . ▁President ▁G bag bo ▁cut ▁short ▁his ▁trip ▁to ▁Italy ▁and ▁on ▁his ▁return ▁stated , ▁in ▁a ▁television ▁address , ▁that ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁reb els ▁were ▁hiding ▁in ▁the ▁sh ant y ▁towns ▁where ▁foreign ▁migr ant ▁workers ▁lived . ▁G end arm es ▁and ▁vig il antes ▁bul ld oz ed ▁and ▁burn ed ▁homes ▁by ▁the ▁thousands , ▁attack ing ▁residents . ▁ ▁An ▁early ▁ce ase fire ▁with ▁the ▁reb els , ▁which ▁had ▁the ▁backing ▁of ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁northern ▁popul ace , ▁proved ▁short - l ived , ▁and ▁fighting ▁over ▁the ▁prime ▁c ocoa - g row ing ▁areas ▁res umed . ▁France ▁sent ▁in ▁troops ▁to ▁maintain ▁the ▁ce ase - fire ▁boundaries , ▁and ▁milit ias , ▁including ▁war l ords ▁and ▁f igh ters ▁from ▁Liber ia ▁and ▁Sierra ▁Le one , ▁took ▁advantage ▁of ▁the ▁crisis ▁to ▁se ize ▁parts ▁of ▁the