Ivory Coast: Laurent Gbagbo standoff - stay updates

12.24pm: Our Africa correspondent David Smith, who might be answering your queries in the feedback section at 1pm, has presented some evaluation of the choices open to Gbagbo because the net closes close to him:

The deputy leader of Ivory Coast’s rebel forces advised me last month that they have no intention of killing him, but fairly want him to stand trial in the International Criminal Court, subsequent the instance of previous president Charles Taylor in neighbouring Liberia. There may be growing demand for this inside the wake of some hideous human rights abuses above the previous 4 months.

David says speak of Gbagbo, a former background professor, staying given amnesty and taking up a teaching place inside the United states of america is extended gone:


But he could nonetheless go into exile, maybe across the border in Ghana, which was one among the countries that put the brakes on the mooted west African military intervention. Other candidates are Angola, where president Jose Eduardo dos Santos is an old ally, or Zimbabwe, the place president Robert Mugabe constantly welcomes any opportunity to goad the west. Zimbabwe currently provides refuge to former Ethiopian dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam, desired for that notorious ‘Red Terror’ campaign.

Then there may be South Africa, lately a bolthole for each former Madagascan president Marc Ravalomanana and exiled Haitian leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who returned to his homeland last month. It can be by now being joked that Aristide’s luxury villa in Pretoria is now
empty and accessible for Gbagbo to maneuver in. South Africa angered Gbagbo’s rival, Alassane Ouattara, by refusing to get sides more than final year’s election, though it’s got subsequently come on board while using rest on the African Union in endorsing Ouattara. Nevertheless, by
offering Gbagbo some breathing room, South Africa could fend off internal critics who say it’s develop into subservient on the west, not minimum around Libya.

But many of the noises coming from Gbagbo’s bunker right now seem to be to echo Churchill’s “in defeat, defiance” - with a consequence that could resemble Hitler’s fate in 1945.

twelve.15pm: Gbagbo will probably be captured inside the subsequent couple of hours, based on a spokeswoman for Ouattara. Speaking to CNN she claimed:


The Republican forces of Cote d’Ivoire are in Laurent Gbagbo’s home. I believe within just an individual hour they are going to capture Gbagbo. Inside of 1 hour or two hours.

She confirmed that a gun battle is taking place within the residence and added that only Republican forces, allayed to Ouattara, are associated with the fighting, not UN or French troops.

eleven.53am: Ibrahim Coulibaly, a spokesman for your Ivory Coast embassy in France, just informed al-Jazeera English Gbabgo is “still in his bunker”. He said:

Gbabgo is still denying the result of the election, so right now we determined to go and get him out of his bunker.

Coulibaly said they had no intention of harming Gbagbo but had no other choice than to utilize force to acquire him out of his bunker.

“That’s the one signifies now, we didn’t have any choice. We have now been wanting to negotiate with him.”

Coulibaly denied that any French forces are associated with the assault.

11.37am: Affoussy Bamba, spokeswoman for the federal government on the president elect, Ouattara, has informed France-24 that Gbagbo will likely be captured “soon”. She said:

On the latest moment they’ve not nevertheless captured Gbagbo but it will materialize soon. They opened the gates and mentioned that the residence is surrounded by hefty weaponry. Now the objective is usually to capture him.

Members of Ouattara’s forces are reportedly underneath strict recommendations from the president-elect’s government to take Gbago unharmed.

11.18am: Forces loyal to Ouattara are attacking Gbagbo’s palace and are arranging to consider him from his bunker but the incumbent president still has some protection protecting him, Selay Koussi studies inside a Skype interview from Abidjan.

From my residence I can hear gunfire. Ouattara forces are firing in the bunker. They stated they’ll catch Mr Gbagbo in his home. Gbagbo isn’t exhibiting any indication of resigning. It’s possible only by in this way will he surrender. He’s getting safeguarded by a handful of faithful militiamen and safety guards.

We desire for any pleased ending or else it is actually heading for being really challenging.

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eleven.12am: You will find there’s “real danger” that Gbabgo, his spouse and other family members may very well be killed from the assault around the presidential palace, his European representative Toussaint Alain has informed AP.

Alain claimed French forces are firing from two Puma helicopters and also through the rooftop with the French ambassador’s residence nearby. He claimed:

France is going to be held accountable for that death of President Gbagbo, his wife and family members and all people that are inside of the residence, and that is becoming bombarded through the French army.


French Army Spokesman Thierry Burkhard denied that French forces are firing in the residence.

eleven.02am: Residents around the presidential palace in Abidjan’s Cocody neighbourhood say they’ve got heard hefty gunfire and loud explosions coming from your route of the palace, Reuters reports. Alfred Kouassi, who lives near Gbagbo’s residence in Cocody, informed the news agency:

I’ve found from my developing the FRCI fighters (Ouattara forces) in pick-ups and 4x4 jeeps rushing in the direction of Gbagbo’s residence, weapons in their hands. We can hear automated gunfire and also the thuds of major weapons coming through the residence.

ten.53am: A Gbagbo representative claims French forces are firing to the embattled Ivorian leader’s residence, AP studies.

A French government spokesman has advised Reuters its forces will not be participating in on-the-ground fighting round the presidential residence palace.
Dwell weblog: Twitter

10.44am: The BBC’s Andrew Harding tweets:

I can hear serious bombardment in Abidjan. Has Gbagbo been haggling also lengthy in his bunker? Nation badly desires calm ending to this.

10.41am: Fabrice Zagbayou, a Gbagbo supporter and organization analyst from Abidjan, says he fears for his existence within the existing assault.

Zagbayou, an energetic Twitter person in the metropolis, told the Guardian:

Laurent Gbagbo won the election. We do not will need bombing, we don’t need a different leader. The French army bombed civilians, the French army bombed the president. This isn’t democracy. It truly is not acceptable.

Sounding near to tears he additional:

“The French army say they wish to secure Abidjan. It can be incorrect. It truly is wrong. We feel they’ll kill Laurent Gbagbo. Ouattara militia and French troops are shooting now. I am frightened for my life. I’m frightened that in the event the Ouattara militia find me they’re going to destroy me.”

A French federal government spokesman has reported French forces aren’t participating in on-the-ground fighting throughout the presidential residence, in accordance with Reuters.

10.36am: Forces loyal to Ouattara have stormed the palace where Gbagbo is sheltering within a bunker, a spokeswoman for the forces informed Reuters. Affousy Bamba said:

Indeed they (Ouattara forces) are in the process of getting into the residence to seize Gbagbo, they’ve not taken him nevertheless, however they are from the practice, they may be within the constructing.

ten.22am: There’s a useful Q&A to the crisis by Richard Downie, deputy director from the Africa programme at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic Global Studies.

His answer on what happens up coming is most pertinent:

By holding out for so prolonged, Gbagbo has lost any right to negotiate the terms of his exit. In an ideal scenario, he should prepare for any trip to the Worldwide Criminal Court, whose prosecutors are closely monitoring events in Côte d’Ivoire. It remains for being noticed whether another African nation might help him escape this fate by offering him a quiet exile.

President Ouattara faces the formidable challenge of healing a deeply divided country in which a sizeable minority openly issues his right to govern. Having been denied his right to win control of your nation through the ballot box, he has ultimately claimed it by force. The major fighting of the past few days has led to excesses by equally sides in the conflict. The FRCI has been accused through the Global Committee with the Red Cross of becoming involved with a massacre in the town of Duékoué, though Ouattara strongly denies this claim. In addition, the incoming president will inevitably face the politically damaging claim that he was propelled to power by the French, Côte d’Ivoire’s previous colonial masters. A

All of these factors dent Ouattara’s credibility. For these reasons, his main priority on taking office are going to be to promote national reconciliation. Ouattara will want to act with restraint toward people who opposed him and would be advised to reach out to his erstwhile enemies by including some of the more moderate Gbagbo loyalists in his authorities. There remains cause for hope despite the challenges. Ivoirian political leaders have shown an impressive capacity to patch up their differences while in the past; these skills will probably be needed again within the coming weeks and months.

ten.08am: The Guardian’s stringer, Selay Koussi, says gunfire has restarted in Abidjan after the FRCI, the pro-Outtara forces, announced that they’re going to “take Gbagbo out of his bunker wherever he’s hiding”.

These are heading on the presidential palace.

It appears that they’ve lost patience with attempts to negotiate Gbagbo’s surrender.

10.01am: The Guardian’s Africa correspondent David Smith might be taking part inside a Q&A inside the feedback part below at 1pm.

- You may be interested in finding out more about the two sides of your conflict, tribal allegiances, their culpability for war crimes.

- Or you may be interested inside international aspects of your conflict, the role on the UN and/or France and the scope the crisis has to affect other nations inside the region.

- Alternatively, you may have concerns about the humanitarian cost of the crisis.

Simply post your question within the feedback segment and David will try to respond.

9.51am: Gbagbo is resisting pressure from your United Nations and France to indicator a document renouncing his claim to power, in a different setback to hopes that he will leave office imminently, Reuters reports.

From his bunker in which he is surrounded by troops loyal to Ouattara, Gbagbo told French Radio RFI now:

We usually are not at the negotiating stage. And my departure from where? to go where?

But Gbagbo government spokesman Ahoua Don Mello, who was taking part in negotiations, advised Reuters the parties are even now in talks. He explained:

“Some points are still being discussed. Nothing has been signed, Gbagbo has not signed anything.”

9.47am: There is certainly hefty gunfire close to Gbagbo’s residence, France 24 is reporting, citing witnesses. No further details have already been provided.

9.17am: Gbagbo’s refusal to surrender is prompting fears of more violence in Abidjan, our stringer inside the metropolis, Selay Koussi, reviews. (There may be brief echo within the line at first but it gets better).

The site is quiet, nevertheless it is simply not safe because you some have militia men that are nonetheless faithful Mr Gbagbo who ransacking shops and supermarkets.

Many many families are running from basic foodstuffs and water.

Many many people assume the UN and French forces again might restart the bombing to place pressure on him [Gbagbo] to relinquish power. Many people were disappointment that he stated he was not going to recognise Mr Ouattara as the victor in the election. I’m frightened that if French troops and UN forces use helicopters and start firing rockets at the bunker of Mr Gbagbo the violence will raise again. People are pretty angry throughout Abidjan. They imagine that Mr Gbagbo is playing a nasty game together with the international community. They feel he is wanting to get time to escape.

This day is really crucial. If nothing is done in the following 24 hours the population might go on into the streets because they can be running from basic foodstuffs and water. This might bring the nation on the verge of both equally chaos and collapse.

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9.01am: The Guardian has a story up about Gbagbo’s denial that he is preparing to surrender. He told French news channel LCI:

I won the election and I’m not negotiating my departure. I come across it absolutely incredible that the entire world is playing this … game of poker.


He also insisted he had no intention of staying a martyr:

“I’m not a kamikaze. I love existence. My voice is just not the voice of a martyr, no, no, no, I’m not looking for death. It really is not my aim to die.”

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8.56am: With most people assuming Gbabgo’s surrender is only a matter of time, attention is turning to what will happen after his departure. On Comment is Free, Adekeye Adebajo, director in the Centre for Conflict, writes that each sides have a case to answer:

Both sides are already accused of committing atrocities. Gbagbo and Ouattara must thus be put on notice that they may be held accountable for war crimes committed by their fighters. The financial and travel sanctions recently imposed through the UN on Gbagbo, his Lady Macbethian wife Simone, as well as other associates, should also be extended to other peace “spoilers”.

French troops must do more than just protect the airport in order to evacuate western nationals in however yet another instance of an “aristocracy of death”, in which the lives of foreigners are deemed to be worth more than all those of Africans. In addition, genuine suspicions persist about the stance adopted by pro-Ouattara France, whose previous self-interested interventions in Africa, and continuing support for local autocrats, cast the Gallic power from the role of a fox guarding a hen-house.


Adebajo also says other African nations have an important part to play in post-Gbagbo reconciliation:

Nigeria and South Africa must use their presence on the UN security council effectively to help craft a peaceful outcome. The African Union should help to negotiate a safe exit for Gbagbo and press Ouattara to bring in his rival’s supporters into any future authorities. Nigeria, South Africa and Angola must speak with an individual voice to ensure that any agreement sticks.

8.46am: France’s armed forces chief Edouard Guillaud has told Europe 1 radio that Gbagbo is negotiating his surrender - the president has denied he’s doing so - and could quit office in “a matter of hours”. He claimed:

They (negotiations) continued through the night but unfortunately I see no breakthrough for now. Despite that, I believe it truly is a matter of hrs, maybe during the day.

Guillard also mentioned strikes against Gbagbo’s camp could resume in the request on the United Nations and if he continued to refuse to step down.

Earlier, the French foreign minister, Alain Juppe advised France Info radio the only thing left to discuss with Gbagbo was his departure. Juppe claimed:

“This obstinacy is absurd. Gbagbo has no future henceforth. Everybody’s dropped him. He’s holed up in his residence. Together with the United Nations, which is with the helm, we are going to continue to exert pressure on him to face up to reality.”

8.36am: As the standoff on the presidential palace continues, the pro-Ouattara television station TCI has been putting pressure on Gbagbo/mocking the incumbent president by playing extracts from Downfall, the film about Adolf Hitler’s final days in his bunker in Berlin.

How long will it be before someone creates a Gbagbo-inspired parody with the famous scene wherever Hitler launches into a furious tirade upon finally realizing that the war is truly lost?

8.23am: Good morning. Welcome to live coverage of events in the Ivory Coast. Here’s a summary in the latest developments:

• President Laurent Gbago remains holed up in a bunker with his family and a handful of supporters at his palace in Abidjan. Forces loyal to his rival, Alassane Ouattara, surrounded his dwelling on Tuesday after UN helicopters attacked Gbagbo’s arms stockpiles and bases.

• Gbago’s spokesman, the UN and the French have all stated the incumbent president is negotiating his surrender. However, in a very telephone interview with French news channel LCI, the incumbent president insisted “no decision has but been taken”.

• A ceasefire declared by Gbagbo’s generals in Abidjan yesterday appears to become holding, even though the UN says there has been “sporadic shooting” by gangs of youths not allied to either the incumbent president or his rival.

• There are fears of a humanitarian crisis with people confined to their houses through the fighting. Food, medical supplies and water are all in short supply in Abidjan. Many people are also without electricity. There have also been armed, xenophobic attacks against west African nationals and Malian migrants, with guns and knives.