Ivory Coast’s Laurent Gbagbo holds on, protected by 200 men, as French forces hit military vehicles belonging to troops loyal to him
French forces hit military vehicles belonging to troops loyal to Ivory Coast’s Laurent Gbagbo during a helicopter-borne mission that rescued Japan's ambassador to the West African country on Thursday. Yet, Gbagbo remained holed up in his bunker, protected by about 200 men.
The French went in after Gbagbo soldiers broke into the residence, where ambassador Yoshifumi Okamura and seven of his staff had taken shelter inside a safe room, armed forces spokesman Thierry Burkhard said.
The Japanese ambassador said mercenaries had stormed his residence. Burkhard said pro-Gbagbo loyalists had set up rocket launchers on the roof of the building. "I was blocked in my room and these people had seized my residence," Okamura said.
French forces, who have already joined helicopter raids to destroy Gbagbo's heavy weapons, struck two pick-up trucks belonging to armed assailants who tried to break into the French ambassador's residence in the former colony.
The strikes came as forces loyal to presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara laid siege to Gbagbo's own residence after an attempt to extract him from his bunker on Wednesday met with fierce resistance.
Fighting continued in the economic capital Abidjan as Ouattara's forces tried to unseat Gbagbo, who has refused to cede power after losing last November's presidential election to Ouattara, according to results certified by the United Nations.
Sporadic gunfire could be heard coming from Gbagbo's presidential palace in the Plateau district on Thursday, a week after Ouattara's soldiers arrived in the city.
Gbagbo is believed to be holed up in his personal residence, which lies in a cul-de-sac at the heart of the leafy, upscale Cocody embassy district.
Israel had also asked French forces to extract its diplomats from the conflict-torn city, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said in Paris. He said Gbagbo's departure was inevitable although he could not say if it was a matter of hours or days.
"Today, at the moment, former president Gbagbo's forces are reportedly fewer than 1,000, including 200 at his residence," French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet said.
The offensive launched by the Ouattara's troops Wednesday "met with strong resistance from Gbagbo's last loyal men", a French government source told AFP.
UN peacekeeping department spokesman Nick Birnback told AFP Gbagbo remained in contact with international representatives. "Discussions continue with the UN using its good offices to the fullest extent possible," he said.
After calling for a ceasefire and retreating to the bunker with his wife Simone and a few others, Gbagbo insisted in a radio interview late Tuesday he would not accept he had lost the vote and he was prepared to die.
Gbagbo was elected in 2000 and postponed polls due in 2005 several times before allowing them to go ahead last year, only to reject the result issued by the election authority and backed by the United Nations.
