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General Phillippe Mangou has left South African ambassador’s residence, where he sought refuge last week The top army general in Ivory Coast has rejoined government forces days after deserting, providing a rare boost to president Laurent Gbagbo, officials say. General Phillippe Mangou, his wife and five children left the South African ambassador’s residence in Abidjan after fleeing there last week, South Africa’s foreign affairs ministry confirmed. Mangou’s departure had been seen as a blow to Gbagbo, who refuses to cede power to the internationally recognised president, Alassane Ouattara, more than four months after the election. The streets of Abidjan resemble a ghost town as the city’s residents await a final battle for power. Thousands of troops backing Ouattara are massed at a toll booth some 20 miles from the centre of the commercial capital, which has been a fierce battleground over the past four days. Speaking on Sunday on the pro-Ouattara TCI television channel, Ouattara’s prime minister, Guillaume Soro, said their side’s strategy had been to encircle the city, harass Gbagbo’s troops’ positions and gather intelligence on their arsenal. “The situation is now ripe for a lightning offensive,” he said. UN employees were ordered to take refuge inside the basement of their main building. One of the army chief’s aides said Mangou was still supporting Gbagbo despite having fled to the South African ambassador’s residence. “The general is with us and has always been with us,” Lieutenant Jean-Marc Tago said. “Our plan is to defend the institutions of the republic against all its enemies, against the rebels, against the mercenaries, against the [United Nations] and all those who are attacking the institutions of the republic commanded by President Laurent Gbagbo.” There was no confirmation that Mangou, whose house was reportedly looted by pro-Gbagbo youths in his absence, will return to fight for Gbagbo. G4S, a local security company, reported that the two men had met. A Gbagbo spokesman, Ahoua Don Mello, said on state TV: “Phillipe Mangou met with his fellow soldiers on the ground. But we still don’t know if he is willing to return at the helm of affairs. I don’t have enough information about that.” He added: “I saw him today [Sunday] at the residence of the president with his colleagues. He is going to deliver a statement in person, maybe tomorrow.” On Ouattara’s rival TV station, Serges Alla, a journalist, confirmed that Mangou had left the embassy and been picked up by a close collaborator of Gbagbo’s. The journalist added: “Mangou was forced to leave the South African embassy because some of his relatives were made hostage by diehard supporters of Gbagbo, and Gbagbo militiamen were putting pressure on him, saying they would bomb his village if he doesn’t show himself or doesn’t return to the Gbagbo army.” The top UN diplomat in Ivory Coast estimates that up to 50,000 members of Gbagbo’s security force deserted or defected in the hours after the pro-Ouattara forces descended on Abidjan, late on Wednesday. Despite the defections, Gbagbo has surprised many observers by fighting back, issuing a call to arms to his supporters, who descended on his residence on Sunday to form a human shield around it. Pro-Gbagbo forces have wrested back control of the state broadcaster, which at the weekend showed unverified images of Gbagbo calmly sipping tea at what appeared to be his Abidjan residence. Militiamen repeatedly shot at journalists as they tried to approach Abidjan. Leaders around the world, from the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, to the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, reiterated calls for Gbagbo to step down over the weekend. “There has been too much bloodshed,” Ban said. “I renew my call on Mr Gbagbo to step down to avoid further violence and transfer power immediately to the legitimate general candidate, President Ouattara.” France is sending an extra 150 soldiers from Gabon to Ivory Coast to help protect civilians, a spokesman for the armed forces said. The soldiers’ deployment brings the number of French troops in Ivory Coast to 1,650. The UN has raised concerns about the possible involvement of fighters linked to Ouattara’s forces in hundreds of killings in the west of the country, something the Ouattara camp denies. Ivory Coast Alassane Ouattara Laurent Gbagbo United Nations Hillary Clinton France Gabon Ban Ki-moon David Smith guardian.co.uk