Ouattara, April 07: Forces loyal to internationally recognized Ivory Coast President-elect Alassane Ouattara have reportedly pulled back from de facto President Laurent Gbagbo’s palace.
Ouattara forces that have surrounded Gbagbo’s residence in Abidjan faced strong resistance from the strongman’s last men and had to draw back, a French government source told AFP on Wednesday, stating that there are still “some mortars and tanks in the presidential compound.”
Earlier pro-Ouattara forces carried out a new assault on Gbagbo’s residence “to forcibly remove him out of power” after negotiations for his surrender failed to yield any result.
Gbagbo told France’s LCI news channel late Tuesday that he had won the November presidential election and therefore did not intend to sign a document urged by the United Nations and France to recognize Ouattara’s victory.
UN peacekeeping department spokesman, Nick Birnback, has said talks with Gbagbo’s camp are still underway.
The strongman had previously agreed to quit power provided that a safe departure was guaranteed for himself, his family members and some of his army generals, reports said.
The UN says several hundred people have lost their lives since the outset of the political deadlock in the country.
Meanwhile, International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has said that the legal body is gathering data on the reported mass graves and the carnage of civilians by Gbagbo forces, and that they plan to conduct a probe into the events.
The International Red Cross has also raised concerns about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Ivory Coast as fighting continues and more people displaced by the post-election crisis suffer food and water shortages.
The UN, the African Union, the European Union and the United States have recognized Ouattara as the rightful winner of the November vote and have tried to pressure Gbagbo to cede power by imposing sanctions on him.
——–Agencies