Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Nov 10, SPA -- France and the United Nationsbegan evacuating thousands of French and other expatriatesWednesday trapped at U.N. offices and a French militarybase amid days of anti-foreigner rampages in Ivory Coast'slargest city, French and U.N. officials said. France alone expected to evacuate between 4,000 to 8,000of its citizens from across Ivory Coast _ potentially themajority of the 14,000 French still in the former Frenchcolony, French Embassy spokesman Francois Guenon said. "It is on a voluntary basis. We are not going to evacuateall our French citizens because they are too many," Guenonsaid. "We are evaluating the number of those wanting to leaveand we have between 4,000 to 8,000 French who haveexpressed a wish to leave whether temporarily or forgood," he said. Evacuations started Wednesday morning with a convoy of 40U.N. personnel, U.N. spokesman Philippe Mathieu said. The 40 were among more than 1,000 expatriates who haveholed up in a U.N. headquarters amid four days of lootingand attacks, Mathieu said. More than 1,600 other foreigners who have taken refuge ina French military base in Abidjan are to be flown out. Theyincluded 985 French and citizens of 42 other countries, theFrench said.--SPA1239 Local Time 0939 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/216489