French forces ‘storming Gbagbo’s bunker’

Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo remains holed up in a bunker in his palace in Abidjan and is believed to be looking to negotiate the terms of his surrender 10.53am: A Gbagbo representative claims French forces are firing on the embattled Ivorian leader’s residence, AP reports. A French government spokesman has told Reuters its forces are not participating in on-the-ground fighting around the presidential residence palace. 10.44am: The BBC’s Andrew Harding tweets: I can hear heavy bombardment in Abidjan. Has Gbagbo been haggling too long in his bunker? Country badly needs calm ending to this. 10.41am: Fabrice Zagbayou, a Gbagbo supporter and business analyst from Abidjan, says he fears for his life in the current assault . Zagbayou, an active Twitter user in the city, told the Guardian: Laurent Gbagbo won the election. We don’t need bombing, we don’t need another leader. The French army bombed civilians, the French army bombed the president. This is not democracy. It is not acceptable. Sounding close to tears he added: “The French army say they want to secure Abidjan. It is wrong. It is wrong. We think they are going to kill Laurent Gbagbo. Ouattara militia and French troops are shooting now. I’m afraid for my life. I’m afraid that if the Ouattara militia find me they will kill me.” A French government spokesman has said French forces are not participating in on-the-ground fighting around the presidential residence, according to Reuters. 10.36am: Forces loyal to Ouattara have stormed the palace where Gbagbo is sheltering in a bunker, a spokeswoman for the forces told Reuters. Affousy Bamba said: Yes they (Ouattara forces) are in the process of entering the residence to seize Gbagbo, they have not taken him yet, but they are in the process, they are in the building. 10.22am: There’s a useful Q&A on the crisis by Richard Downie, deputy director of the Africa programme at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic International Studies . His answer on what happens next is most pertinent: By holding out for so long, Gbagbo has lost any right to negotiate the terms of his exit. In an ideal scenario, he should prepare for a trip to the International Criminal Court, whose prosecutors have been closely monitoring events in Côte d’Ivoire. It remains to be seen whether another African country 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 questions his right to govern. Having been denied his right to win control of the country through the ballot box, he has ultimately claimed it by force. The heavy fighting of the past few days has led to excesses by both sides in the conflict. The FRCI has been accused by the International Committee of the Red Cross of being involved in a massacre in the town of Duékoué, although 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 former colonial masters. A All of these factors dent Ouattara’s credibility. For these reasons, his main priority on taking office will be to promote national reconciliation. Ouattara will need to act with restraint toward those 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 government. There remains cause for hope despite the challenges. Ivoirian political leaders have shown an impressive capacity to patch up their differences in the past; those skills will be needed again in the coming weeks and months. 10.08am: 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 out of his bunker where he is hiding”. They are heading to the presidential palace. It appears that they have lost patience with attempts to negotiate Gbagbo’s surrender. 10.01am: The Guardian’s Africa correspondent David Smith will be taking part in a Q&A in the comments section below at 1pm . – You may be interested in finding out more about the two sides of the conflict, tribal allegiances, their culpability for war crimes. – Or you may be interested in the international aspects of the conflict, the role of the UN and/or France and the scope the crisis has to affect other countries in the region. – Alternatively, you may have concerns about the humanitarian cost of the crisis. Simply post your question in the comments section and David will try to respond. 9.51am: Gbagbo is resisting pressure from the United Nations and France to sign a document renouncing his claim to power, in another setback to hopes that he will leave office imminently, Reuters reports. From his bunker where he is surrounded by troops loyal to Ouattara, Gbagbo told French Radio RFI today: We 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, told Reuters the parties are still in talks. He said: “Some points are still being discussed. Nothing has been signed, Gbagbo has not signed anything.” 9.47am: There is heavy gunfire near Gbagbo’s residence, France 24 is reporting, citing witnesses. No further details have been given. 9.17am: Gbagbo’s refusal to surrender is prompting fears of more violence in Abidjan, our stringer in the city, Selay Koussi, reports . (There is brief echo on the line at first but it gets better). The place is quiet, but it is not safe because you some have militia men who are still faithful Mr Gbagbo who ransacking shops and supermarkets. Many many families are running out of basic foodstuffs and water. Many many people think that the UN and French forces again might restart the bombing to put pressure on him [Gbagbo] to relinquish power. Many people were disappointment that he said he was not going to recognise Mr Ouattara as the victor of the election. I’m afraid 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 very angry throughout Abidjan. They think that Mr Gbagbo is playing a nasty game with the international community. They think he is trying to get time to escape. This day is very crucial. If nothing is done in the next 24 hours the population might go on to the streets because they are running out of basic foodstuffs and water. This might bring the country on the verge of both chaos and collapse. _ 9.01am: The Guardian has a story up about Gbagbo’s denial that he is preparing to surrender . He told French news channel TF1: I won the election and I’m not negotiating my departure. I find it absolutely incredible that 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 life. My voice is not the voice of a martyr, no, no, no, I’m not looking for death. It’s not my aim to die.” – 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 of the Centre for Conflict, writes that both sides have a case to answer : Both sides have been accused of committing atrocities. Gbagbo and Ouattara must thus be put on notice that they will be held accountable for war crimes committed by their fighters. The financial and travel sanctions recently imposed by the UN on Gbagbo, his Lady Macbethian wife Simone, and 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 yet another example of an “aristocracy of death”, in which the lives of foreigners are deemed to be worth more than 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 in 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 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 government. Nigeria, South Africa and Angola must speak with one 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 is doing so – and could quit office in “a matter of hours”. He said: They (negotiations) continued through the night but unfortunately I see no breakthrough for now. Despite that, I believe it is a matter of hours, possibly during the day. Guillard also said strikes against Gbagbo’s camp could resume at the request of the United Nations and if he continued to refuse to step down. Earlier, the French foreign minister, Alain Juppe told France Info radio the only thing left to discuss with Gbagbo was his departure. Juppe said: “This obstinacy is absurd. Gbagbo has no future henceforth. Everybody’s dropped him. He’s holed up in his residence. With the United Nations, which is at the helm, we are going to continue to exert pressure on him to face up to reality.” 8.36am: As the standoff at 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 of the famous scene where 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 of 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 home on Tuesday after UN helicopters attacked Gbagbo’s arms stockpiles and bases. • Gbago’s spokesman, the UN and the French have all said that the incumbent president is negotiating his surrender. However, in a telephone interview with French news channel LCI, the incumbent president insisted “no decision has yet been taken”. • A ceasefire declared by Gbagbo’s generals in Abidjan yesterday appears to be holding , although 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. Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo Alassane Ouattara United Nations France Haroon Siddique Matthew Weaver guardian.co.uk

Posted by on April 6, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.