Paris, April 12: A spokesman for ousted Ivory Coast strongman Laurent Gbagbo today accused French special forces of carrying out a coup d’etat in its former colony on behalf of his rival Alassane Ouattara.
“It was a coup d’etat which had no other aim but to gain control of the resources of Ivory Coast,” Alain Toussaint told reporters in Paris.
“Gbagbo was captured by French special forces, who took him to the Golf Hotel,” where Ouattara has his headquarters, he said.
Toussaint demanded that Gbagbo and his family be released.
France has repeatedly denied claims that French troops had arrested Gbagbo when he was captured yesterday in a bunker in Abidjan, insisting they never set foot in his compound despite having bombarded it from the air.
Foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero immediately dismissed Toussaint’s accusations, telling AFP that “Mr.
Toussaint must be unwell.
–Agencies