Ivory Coast: Laurent Gbagbo standoff – reside updates
12.24pm: Our Africa correspondent David Smith, who might be answering your inquiries in the feedback part at 1pm, has supplied some analysis on the selections open to Gbagbo because the internet closes all around him:
The deputy leader of Ivory Coast’s rebel forces informed me last month that they have no intention of killing him, but relatively want him to stand trial with the Worldwide Criminal Court, following the instance of former president Charles Taylor in neighbouring Liberia. There may be rising desire for this within the wake of some hideous human rights abuses about the past four months.
David says speak of Gbagbo, a former historical past professor, currently being provided amnesty and taking up a teaching place inside the U.s. is very long gone:
But he could however go into exile, maybe across the border in Ghana, which was one of the nations that set the brakes on a mooted west African military intervention. Other candidates are Angola, in which president Jose Eduardo dos Santos is definitely an old ally, or Zimbabwe, where president Robert Mugabe generally welcomes any possibility to goad the west. Zimbabwe previously supplies refuge to former Ethiopian dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam, desired for the notorious ‘Red Terror’ marketing campaign.
Then there is certainly South Africa, currently a bolthole for the two previous Madagascan president Marc Ravalomanana and exiled Haitian leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who returned to his homeland last month. It is really already currently being joked that Aristide’s high end villa in Pretoria is now
empty and offered for Gbagbo to maneuver in. South Africa angered Gbagbo’s rival, Alassane Ouattara, by refusing to consider sides above very last year’s election, whilst it has subsequently come on board with all the rest of the African Union in endorsing Ouattara. Nonetheless, by
providing Gbagbo some breathing room, South Africa could fend off inner critics who say it’s grow to be subservient into the west, not least in excess of Libya.
But all of the noises coming from Gbagbo’s bunker these days seem to be to echo Churchill’s “in defeat, defiance” – which has a outcome that might resemble Hitler’s fate in 1945.
12.15pm: Gbagbo is going to be captured within the subsequent few hrs, in keeping with a spokeswoman for Ouattara. Talking to CNN she claimed:
The Republican forces of Cote d’Ivoire are in Laurent Gbagbo’s house. I believe in a person hour they will seize Gbagbo. In 1 hour or two several hours.
She confirmed that a gun battle is taking place inside the residence and additional that only Republican forces, allayed to Ouattara, are involved 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 explained:
Gbabgo is still denying the end result of the election, so today we determined to go and get him out of his bunker.
Coulibaly stated they’d no intention of harming Gbagbo but had no other decision than to work with force to obtain him from his bunker.
“That’s the only usually means now, we failed to have any decision. Now we have been seeking to negotiate with him.”
Coulibaly denied that any French forces are involved in the assault.
eleven.37am: Affoussy Bamba, spokeswoman for your government on the president elect, Ouattara, has informed France-24 that Gbagbo will be captured “soon”. She said:
At the recent moment they have not nonetheless captured Gbagbo but it will happen soon. They opened the gates and noted the residence is surrounded by hefty weaponry. Now the objective should be to seize him.
Members of Ouattara’s forces are reportedly under rigid directions in the president-elect’s authorities to get Gbago unharmed.
11.18am: Forces loyal to Ouattara are attacking Gbagbo’s palace and are arranging to take him from his bunker but the incumbent president however has some protection protecting him, Selay Koussi reviews inside a Skype interview from Abidjan.
From my household I can listen to gunfire. Ouattara forces are firing in the bunker. They claimed they’ll catch Mr Gbagbo in his household. Gbagbo is simply not displaying any sign of resigning. Perhaps only by in this way will he surrender. He is staying protected by a handful of faithful militiamen and security guards.
We desire for any joyful ending or else it truly is heading to be quite difficult.
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eleven.12am: There’s a “real danger” that Gbabgo, his spouse and other relatives members may be killed in the assault about the presidential palace, his European representative Toussaint Alain has advised AP.
Alain claimed French forces are firing from two Puma helicopters and also from the rooftop from the French ambassador’s residence close by. He said:
France will likely be held responsible for that death of President Gbagbo, his spouse and household members and all people who are inside of the residence, that’s getting bombarded through the French army.
French Military Spokesman Thierry Burkhard denied that French forces are firing on the residence.
eleven.02am: Residents across the presidential palace in Abidjan’s Cocody neighbourhood say they’ve got heard hefty gunfire and loud explosions coming in the course in the palace, Reuters reports. Alfred Kouassi, who lives close to Gbagbo’s residence in Cocody, advised the news company:
We have seen from my setting up the FRCI fighters (Ouattara forces) in pick-ups and 4×4 jeeps rushing towards Gbagbo’s residence, weapons within their hands. We are able to listen to automated gunfire as well as the thuds of serious weapons coming through the residence.
10.53am: A Gbagbo representative claims French forces are firing within the embattled Ivorian leader’s residence, AP reviews.
A French authorities spokesman has told Reuters its forces are not taking part in on-the-ground fighting around the presidential residence palace.
Reside website: Twitter
ten.44am: The BBC’s Andrew Harding tweets:
I can listen to hefty bombardment in Abidjan. Has Gbagbo been haggling also extended in his bunker? Nation badly requires relaxed ending to this.
10.41am: Fabrice Zagbayou, a Gbagbo supporter and company analyst from Abidjan, says he fears for his daily life while in the latest assault.
Zagbayou, an active Twitter user inside town, informed the Guardian:
Laurent Gbagbo won the election. We do not want bombing, we do not have to have an additional leader. The French army bombed civilians, the French army bombed the president. This isn’t democracy. It can be not acceptable.
Sounding shut to tears he extra:
“The French army say they need to secure Abidjan. It can be wrong. It’s wrong. We assume they will kill Laurent Gbagbo. Ouattara militia and French troops are shooting now. I am afraid for my existence. I’m frightened that if your Ouattara militia come across me they’ll kill me.”
A French government spokesman has mentioned French forces aren’t taking part in on-the-ground fighting around the presidential residence, based on Reuters.
ten.36am: Forces loyal to Ouattara have stormed the palace the place Gbagbo is sheltering inside a bunker, a spokeswoman for that forces told Reuters. Affousy Bamba stated:
Sure they (Ouattara forces) are within the method of coming into the residence to seize Gbagbo, they’ve not taken him nonetheless, but they are from the practice, they may be while in the building.
ten.22am: There’s a useful Q&A around the crisis by Richard Downie, deputy director on the Africa programme in the Washington-based Centre for Strategic Worldwide Studies.
His answer on what happens following is most pertinent:
By holding out for so extended, Gbagbo has lost any right to negotiate the terms of his exit. In an ideal scenario, he should prepare for any trip into the International Criminal Court, whose prosecutors are already closely monitoring events in Côte d’Ivoire. It remains to get found whether an additional African region might help him escape this fate by offering him a quiet exile.
President Ouattara faces the formidable challenge of healing a deeply divided region in which a sizeable minority openly questions his right to govern. Having been denied his right to win control in the country through the ballot box, he has ultimately claimed it by force. The major fighting on the previous few days has led to excesses by equally sides while in the conflict. The FRCI has been accused through the International Committee of your Red Cross of being involved in a massacre inside 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 through the French, Côte d’Ivoire’s former 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 those who opposed him and would be advised to reach out to his erstwhile enemies by including some of your more moderate Gbagbo loyalists in his authorities. There remains cause for wish despite the challenges. Ivoirian political leaders have shown an impressive capacity to patch up their differences inside previous; those skills are going to 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 are going to “take Gbagbo from his bunker wherever he is hiding”.
There’re heading into the presidential palace.
It appears that they’ve got lost patience with attempts to negotiate Gbagbo’s surrender.
ten.01am: The Guardian’s Africa correspondent David Smith will be taking part inside of a Q&A inside the comments section below at 1pm.
- You may be interested in finding out more about the two sides in the conflict, tribal allegiances, their culpability for war crimes.
- Or you may be interested in the international aspects of your conflict, the role in the UN and/or France and the scope the crisis has to affect other countries while in the region.
- Alternatively, you may have concerns about the humanitarian cost on the crisis.
Simply post your question while in the feedback area and David will try to respond.
9.51am: Gbagbo is resisting pressure from the United Nations and France to indication a document renouncing his claim to power, in an additional setback to hopes that he will leave office imminently, Reuters studies.
From his bunker wherever he’s surrounded by troops loyal to Ouattara, Gbagbo told French Radio RFI now:
We will not be on the negotiating stage. And my departure from exactly where? to go in which?
But Gbagbo federal government spokesman Ahoua Don Mello, who was taking part in negotiations, told Reuters the parties are even now in talks. He said:
“Some points are even now getting discussed. Nothing has been signed, Gbagbo has not signed anything.”
9.47am: There may be large gunfire in close proximity to Gbagbo’s residence, France 24 is reporting, citing witnesses. No further details are already given.
9.17am: Gbagbo’s refusal to surrender is prompting fears of more violence in Abidjan, our stringer in the city, Selay Koussi, reviews. (There’s brief echo around the line at first nevertheless it gets better).
The place is quiet, but it is not safe because you some have militia men who’re nonetheless faithful Mr Gbagbo who ransacking shops and supermarkets.
Many many families are running out of basic foodstuffs and water.
Many many people consider that the UN and French forces again might restart the bombing to set pressure on him [Gbagbo] to relinquish power. Many people were disappointment that he explained he was not heading to recognise Mr Ouattara because the victor of 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 really angry throughout Abidjan. They assume that Mr Gbagbo is playing a nasty game together with the global community. They assume he is seeking to get time to escape.
This day is really crucial. If nothing is done inside the following 24 hrs the population might go on towards the streets because they’re running from basic foodstuffs and water. This might bring the nation within the verge of both chaos and collapse.
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9.01am: The Guardian has a story up about Gbagbo’s denial that he’s preparing to surrender. He advised French news channel LCI:
I won the election and I am not negotiating my departure. I obtain it absolutely incredible the entire world is playing this … game of poker.
He also insisted he had no intention of being a martyr:
“I’m not a kamikaze. I love existence. My voice just isn’t the voice of a martyr, no, no, no, I’m not looking for death. It is really 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 take place after his departure. On Comment is Free, Adekeye Adebajo, director from the Centre for Conflict, writes that equally sides have a case to answer:
Both equally sides are actually accused of committing atrocities. Gbagbo and Ouattara must thus be place on notice that they may be held accountable for war crimes committed by their fighters. The financial and travel sanctions recently imposed from the UN on Gbagbo, his Lady Macbethian wife Simone, along with 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 but one more example of an “aristocracy of death”, in which the lives of foreigners are deemed to become worth more than people 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 inside the role of a fox guarding a hen-house.
Adebajo also says other African countries have an important part to play in post-Gbagbo reconciliation:
Nigeria and South Africa must use their presence within the UN protection 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 government. 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 advised 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 reported:
They (negotiations) continued through the night but unfortunately I see no breakthrough for now. Despite that, I believe it can be a matter of several hours, maybe during the day.
Guillard also mentioned strikes against Gbagbo’s camp could resume at the request on the United Nations and if he continued to refuse to step down.
Earlier, the French foreign minister, Alain Juppe informed France Info radio the one thing left to discuss with Gbagbo was his departure. Juppe mentioned:
“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, and that is on the helm, we are going to continue to exert pressure on him to face up to reality.”
8.36am: As the standoff in 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 prolonged will it be before someone creates a Gbagbo-inspired parody on the famous scene wherever Hitler launches into a furious tirade upon finally realizing the war is truly lost?
8.23am: Good morning. Welcome to dwell coverage of events in the Ivory Coast. Here’s a summary of the latest developments:
• President Laurent Gbago remains holed up within a bunker with his spouse and children and a handful of supporters at his palace in Abidjan. Forces loyal to his rival, Alassane Ouattara, surrounded his house on Tuesday after UN helicopters attacked Gbagbo’s arms stockpiles and bases.
• Gbago’s spokesman, the UN and the French have all mentioned that the incumbent president is negotiating his surrender. However, in the 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, whilst 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 by 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.
