Security forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent Laurent Gbagbo used live ammunition to break up a protest by supporters of presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan and witnesses said at least four people died.
Gunfire and bursts of heavy arms rang out across the city on the day allies of Ouattara, who is backed by the UN, said they would try to seize the state TV building from forces loyal to Gbagbo, who says he won the November 28 poll.
The US, African states and France recognise Ouattara as the winner of the election, but Gbagbo, backed by the nation's top legal body, has held onto the presidency, alleging mass vote-rigging.
Sustained machine gun and rifle fire was heard in the city earlier yesterday, and tear gas filled districts where pro-Ouattara supporters were gathering for the march on the building of the state broadcaster RTI.
"I saw four killed and many wounded. They fired guns to push us back when we tried to march down the street," one protester said of live rounds fired by military at a crowd marching near a military police school.
Telephone interviews conducted by Amnesty International with people at the scene of the march indicated there were nine dead, the rights group said.
The interviews were with five pro-Ouattara protesters and two local human rights workers.
Some protesters close to the state television building had been arrested, stripped and beaten, Andre Kamate, president of local rights group LIDHO said.
An army spokesman declined to comment on the reports.
UN helicopters flew over the city as the shooting erupted.
The UN has about 10000 soldiers and police in Ivory Coast. The force has a mandate to protect civilians, but said its job was not to protect the march.
