Between 3 and 5 April 2003 , the attackers stepped up their attacks on positions of the national defence and security forces , in the process resorting to robbery , looting and then harassment of the civilian population , especially in the village of Kouakoudou , situated seven kilometres from the town of Sandégué . During the night of 9 to 10 April 2003 , in the village of Sanguinaré on the Bondoukou-Bouna road , rebels surrounded the Ghanaian positions of the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS ) Peace Force for Côte d'Ivoire ( ECOFORCE ) in order to ambush Ivorian troops of the national army of Côte d'Ivoire ( FANCI ) .