Ivory Coast forces have reinforced security in the economic capital Abidjan in response to rumours of an attack by rebels holding the north of the West African state, a military source said on Sunday.

A source close to the government’s military information service told Reuters the army had been warned of an attack on the main city and said their level of alert had been raised.

“Urgent measures have been taken and we have increased the number of forces watching over Abidjan, tightened up checks and reinforced strategic places such as the TV and radio and the presidential palace,” the source said, asking not to be named.

“For the moment, we don’t know what could happen but we would prefer to take preventive measures,” he said. Military spokesman Jules Yao Yao said an attack by rebels was unlikely as international peacekeepers would keep them at bay. He said the main threat to Abidjan was the thousands of prisoners who had escaped from the city’s main detention centre during riots earlier this month.

Ivorian authorities have blamed the former detainees for the wave of looting and attacks which targeted expatriates and caused more than 8,000 of them to flee the world’s top cocoa producer three weeks ago. The mob violence erupted after government forces bombed a French base during raids on rebel cities, prompting the former colonial power to destroy most of Ivory Coast’s small air force in retaliation.

Tens of thousands of youths loyal to President Laurent Gbagbo, known as the “Young Patriots”, took to the streets for four days in protest against some 5,000 French troops – who along with some 6,000 U.N. peacekeepers are meant to police a ceasefire.

“We have 2,000-3,000 prisoners who escaped the Maca [prison] and we have to stop them in their tracks ... They could loot homes and attack people,” Yao Yao said.“We have consolidated (security) ... We are trying to be a little more vigilant each day,” he added.

One worker at the Maca prison told Reuters 127 out of 3,585 escapees had been caught but said he doubted the prisoners were behind the violence in Abidjan. Ivory Coast, once a model of stability and economic prosperity in turbulent Western Africa, has been divided in two since a civil war began after a failed coup against Gbagbo in September 2002.

<B>Ange Aboa

Peter Murphy</B>