Gbagbo cornered after battles rock Ivory Coast city

[1]

Soldiers loyal to Ivory Coast's strongman Laurent Gbagbo asked for a ceasefire today, in the face of an offensive to unseat him by internationally recognised president Alassane Ouattara.

General Philippe Mangou told AFP that his troops had stopped fighting and requested a ceasefire after UN and French troops backed Ouattara's forces, who launched a lightning offensive last week. UN and French warplanes attacked key targets in Abidjan yesterday.

Earlier, Gbagbo strongholds were surrounded by Ouattara's troops and a fight was under way for control of the Gendarmerie camp in Cocody district, residents said, as heavy weapons fire shook the city for a second day.

There were no immediate details of Gbagbo's intentions.

Ouattara's camp said it believed Gbagbo was negotiating an exit from a decade in power, but his spokesman said he was not ready to surrender and remained in control of the presidential palace and a key military barracks.

"All the strategic sites are under control except the Akuedo military camp which has been completely destroyed. These are the Agban camp, the Gendarmerie school, the palace, the residence and RTI" state television, said spokesman Ahoua Don Mello.

Ouattara's fighters launched a "final assault" late yesterday to remove Gbagbo, who refuses to accept he lost November elections to Ouattara, while French and UN helicopters attacked his barracks and the palace to take out heavy weapons.

"I believe Laurent Gbagbo is alive. I have learned that he is negotiating his surrender," the Ouattara-appointed ambassador to France, Ally Coulibaly, said on French radio RFI.

A spokesman for Gbagbo said he was still open to dialogue.

Gbagbo's foreign minister Alcide Djedje took shelter in the French embassy and said that Gbagbo and his family were "under attack" at the presidential residence.

Ouattara's forces met fierce resistance after initially estimating the final showdown would end within hours, but issued another ultimatum late Monday.

"The final assault for the total capture of the residence and the palace will take place in the coming hours," said Sidiki Konate, the spokesman for Ouattara's prime minister Guillaume Soro.

Hours earlier, French and UN helicopters fired at the presidential palace, presidential residence and two military barracks held by the 65-year-old Gbagbo, targeting heavy weapons being used against civilians.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stressed the action was to protect residents and not a declaration of war against Gbagbo.

Gbagbo expressed surprise Tuesday at a "direct attack" by French forces, when he was still open to dialogue, his spokesman said.

Gbagbo's spokesman said the assault by UN and French forces on two military camps killed many, as soldiers lived with their families on the bases.