Catalan govt allies say talks with Madrid ‘impossible’
ABIDJAN: Four Moldovan citizens were killed and two others were injured when a cargo plane chartered by the French military crashed into the sea near the airport in Ivory Coast’s main city, Abidjan, on Saturday, Ivorian and French officials said.
Four French citizens survived the crash but were injured, Ivory Coast’s Security Minister Sidiki Diakite told reporters at the scene. Several Ivorian security sources said French soldiers were among the wounded.
“What we can say for the time being is that this morning around 8:30 (0830 GMT), an Antonov plane crashed... with 10 on board including the crew members,” he said.
The crash occurred during a storm with heavy rain and lightning and rescuers were hampered by rough seas. Though Abidjan’s airport is located in a heavily populated area, it did not appear that anyone was hurt on the ground.
The French military operates a logistics base next to the airport in support of its Barkhane operation, combating militants in West Africa’s Sahel region.
“This was a plane chartered by the French army in the framework of the Barkhane force in order to carry out logistical missions,” French army spokesman Colonel Patrick Steiger said.
— Reuters BARCELONA: The far-left allies of Catalonia’s separatist government said on Saturday talks with Madrid were “impossible” and called on regional leader Carles Puigdemont to push ahead with immediate independence.
“Dialogue is impossible, mediation is impossible,” said Nuria Gibert, a spokeswoman for the far-left CUP party, which has consistently called for swift secession from the rest of Spain.
The CUP is a key ally of the Catalan government, as it has 10 lawmakers in the regional parliament without which the ruling separatist coalition would not have an absolute majority.
Puigdemont last week said he accepted the mandate from a banned October 1 referendum for “Catalonia to become an independent state” but added he was suspending independence pending talks with Madrid.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy responded by giving Puigdemont until next Thursday to abandon his secession push, failing which he may trigger unprecedented constitutional steps that could see Madrid take control of the semi-autonomous region.
The separatist leader has until an initial Monday deadline to decide on his plans. “We demand that Mr. Puigdemont’s response on Monday be clearly affirmative,” Gibert told reporters in Barcelona.
“He must lift the suspension and there must be a solemn and comprehensible proclamation of a republic to citizens,” she added.
She also warned the CUP would look to mobilise people on the streets next week. — AFP