Ivory coup

Africa | Surprise uprising in West Africa pins American students in a crossfire before their eventual rescue and evacuation | Mindy Belz

Alan Shea, a faculty member at International Christian Academy in Ivory Coast, e-mailed friends: "Yes, we've hit the headlines of CNN, but then ... in our case this is not normally a good thing." Mr. Shea was writing as rebels tried to pull off a coup that jolted the most stable nation in West Africa. The 40-year-old school, with 200 students from 15 countries, was caught in the crossfire as government forces fought off rebel troops who took control of Bouake, the city where the school is located.

Students had spent a quiet night on Sept. 22, with director Daniel Grudda aware only of distant shooting and soldiers visible just outside the campus when he checked the generator just before dawn. By mid-morning Mr. Grudda was in touch with the U.S. embassy to warn that American students might be in danger. The school cancelled classes, and rationed water and conserved fuel for the generator.