2004 French – Ivorian clashes In 2004 , an armed conflict took place between France and the West African nation of Côte d ' Ivoire ( the Ivory Coast ) . On 6 November 2004 , Ivorians launched an air attack on French peacekeepers in the northern part of Côte d ' Ivoire who were stationed there as part of Operation Unicorn ( French : " Opération Licorne " ) , the French military operation in support of the United Nations Operation in Côte d ' Ivoire ( UNOCI ) . French military forces subsequently clashed with Ivorian troops and government - loyal mobs , destroying the entire Ivorian Air Force . Those incidents were followed by massive anti - French protests in Côte d ' Ivoire . Background . In 2002 , a civil war broke out in Côte d ' Ivoire between Ivorian military and other forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo , the Ivorian president since 2000 , and rebel forces identified with the Forces Nouvelles de Côte d ' Ivoire . Although most of the fighting ended by late 2004 , the country remained split in two , with a rebel - held north and a government - held south . Ivorian attack on French forces . Gbagbo ordered air strikes on Ivorian rebels . On 6 November 2004 , at least one Ivorian Sukhoi Su - 25 bomber attacked a French peacekeeping position in the rebel town of Bouaké at 1 pm , killing nine French soldiers and wounding 31 . An American development worker , reported to have been a missionary , was also killed . The Ivorian government claimed the attack on the French was unintentional , but the French insisted that the attack had been deliberate . Retaliation by the French and subsequent riots . Several hours after the attack French President Jacques Chirac ordered the destruction of the Ivorian air force and the seizure of Yamoussoukro airport . The French military performed an overland attack on the airport , destroying two Sukhoi Su - 25 ground attack aircraft and three helicopter gunship s . Two more military helicopters were destroyed during combat in the skies over Abidjan . France then flew in 300 troops and put three Dassault Mirage F . 1 jet fighters based in nearby Gabon on standby . On 7 November , armed mobs of Ivorians loyal to the government took to the streets of Abidjan to protest against France and attacked a French school and army base . Crowds of young Ivorians attacked a residential district made up of French citizens , which had to be evacuated by airlift as mobs burst into their apartment buildings . Armored cars carried armed protesters to join the fight , and French helicopters flew over Abidjan and dropped concussion grenades , while French armored vehicles carried troops to put down the riots . Protesters erected burning roadblocks , and French gunboats were positioned beneath the bridges . Fighting continued , and , by Sunday , French forces were still not in control of the city . At Abidjan ' s airport , French and Ivorian troops exchanged fire , and a French military plane was reportedly damaged . As the riots in the streets continued , French soldiers opened fire on Ivorian rioters ; the French Government stated that 20 were killed while Ivorian authorities placed the death toll at 60 . French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier stated President Gbagbo was " personally responsible for what has happened " , and declared that the violence was " unexplainable , unjustifiable " . Ivorian National Assembly President Mamadou Koulibaly told state television : " Ivory Coast has become an overseas territory in Jacques Chirac ’ s head " . Aftermath . Côte d ' Ivoire had begun rebuilding its air force with help from Belarus and Ukraine a year after the French attack . French judge Brigitte Raynaud issued an international arrest warrant for the two pilots suspected of the bombing , Patrice Ouei and Ange - Magloire Gnanduillet , in January 2006 . An Ivorian military court was also seeking to find former defence minister Rene Amani and the former head of the loyalist army , Mathias Doue , over the bombing . By 2008 , relations between Côte d ' Ivoire and France had returned to normal , with French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner being the first French foreign minister to visit since 2004 .