When again his departure seemed a matter of hours, the outgoing Ivorian President, Laurent Gbagbo, still holds in his bunker under his official residence in Abidjan. This morning, after the failure of the negotiations on Tuesday, supporters of President-elect, Alassane Ouattara, started what they considered the "final assault" at the presidential residence.
However, the attack appears to have been repulsed, according to a Western military source. Late in the afternoon, Ouattara men said they had initiated new attacks. "[The talks] were interrupted Ouattara and the president decided to ask its military offensive to retake the redoubt against the president.
(...) The voice has returned to arms," he said this morning the head of the diplomatic gala, Alain Juppe, to take for failed talks with Gbagbo, whose departure was on Tuesday "a matter of hours," his colleague Gerard Longuet, the defense minister. The new offensive-Ouattara men recognized as president by the international community started first thing in the morning.
"I have seen from my house to the soldiers of Frei [Republican forces in Côte d'Ivoire, Ouattara faithful] in jeeps heading Gbagbo's residence, gun in hand," said a neighboring Ivory Coast in Abidjan. "We can hear automatic weapons fire and the thuds of heavy weapons from the residence," said this man from near the presidential residence.
However, around noon (14 hours, in mainland Spain), the firing of heavy weapons ceased in the vicinity of the palace and the presidential residence, plunging the nearby neighborhoods in a strange calm. A resident of Abidjan told AFP Ouattara forces withdrew a few hours after launching the assault.
"As I understand, tried to take Gbagbo's residence this morning. The assault failed," the Reuters quoted a military source. "They could not break through, and all heavy weapons still hidden around Gbagbo's residence. Have been removed to rethink and re-plan," he said. Ouattara A spokesman denied that its troops had withdrawn, but could not give further details about the assault or clarify if he continued the fight.
This morning, the spokesman Ouattara, Affousy Bamba, said his forces had finally entered the residence. "Yes, they are in the process of entering the residence to capture Gbagbo. Do not have it yet, but are in the process. They are in the building," he said. In addition, the palace and the presidential residence, Gbagbo still controls the Agban military camp (the largest in the country), near which were also heard loud explosions.
Despite fighting in the country's economic capital, many Ivorians took to the streets to get food and water. "It's an assassination attempt," reported the spokesman for his government, Ahoua Don Mello, this morning. For his part, Gbagbo adviser Toussaint Alain had said to the French channel 'France 24' that the residence was being attacked by the French army and UN troops with heavy weapons and helicopters bombed by the French army.
Alain reported that since the bombing began on Monday French in the country have produced "more than a thousand victims only in Abidjan, but said the number may reach 2,000. France has denied taking part in the offensive on Wednesday. His defense minister has warned that Ouattara will not help to overthrow Gbagbo, but only intervene at the request of the United Nations to protect civilians.
"France can become involved at the request of the United Nations but not listen to any political force in Ivory Coast," said the minister Longuet. Of course, the executive fully Gallo has insisted that the outgoing president must go. "Laurent Gbagbo must leave the Presidential Residence, it is not a personal residence.
Is a resident of the state and he is not head of state of Ivory Coast", the French Minister for Cooperation, Alain de Raincourt. Moreover, France has blamed Gbagbo's failure of negotiation. "The negotiations that took place for hours yesterday between the environment Gbagbo and the Ivorian authorities failed due to the intransigence of Gbagbo.
Thus were interrupted," said gala chief diplomat, Alain Juppe, to the deputies of his country. Gbagbo "is not sincere in its willingness to negotiate its way out," he said. Ivorian President outgoing, meanwhile, is angered by the intervention of the ancient metropolis in crisis. "We're not in a negotiating phase.
My Progress where? To go where?" Said Gbagbo told French radio RFI Wednesday. Already on Tuesday, in an interview with French television channel LCI, Gbagbo refused to be negotiated and stated that his army had to order a cease-fire after the destruction of its weapons by air strikes on Monday.
"For peace to return to Ivory Coast, I and Ouattara, the two have to talk," he added. "I'm not a kamikaze. I love life. My voice is the voice of a martyr, no, no, no. I'm not looking for death. It is not my intention to die," he said in the interview. In negotiating the departure of Gbagbo, France and the United Nations demanded that the outgoing president acknowledged in writing his resignation and the victory of Ouattara.
"If it has refused to sign the documents that [France and the UN] was presented yesterday [on Tuesday], it is because something that had proposed legal and judicial basis," said his spokesman, Don Mello. Juppe made clear Wednesday that they are not conditions imposed by their country, but by the new Ivorian president.
"The conditions laid down by Ouattara are clear: Laurent Gbagbo calls accept his defeat and recognize the victory of the legitimately elected president," the minister said France. Although the outgoing president denied in the interview to be negotiating his departure, on Wednesday a UN spokesman has insisted that Gbagbo is still negotiating his surrender.
"The negotiations are continuing." 
However, the attack appears to have been repulsed, according to a Western military source. Late in the afternoon, Ouattara men said they had initiated new attacks. "[The talks] were interrupted Ouattara and the president decided to ask its military offensive to retake the redoubt against the president.
(...) The voice has returned to arms," he said this morning the head of the diplomatic gala, Alain Juppe, to take for failed talks with Gbagbo, whose departure was on Tuesday "a matter of hours," his colleague Gerard Longuet, the defense minister. The new offensive-Ouattara men recognized as president by the international community started first thing in the morning.
"I have seen from my house to the soldiers of Frei [Republican forces in Côte d'Ivoire, Ouattara faithful] in jeeps heading Gbagbo's residence, gun in hand," said a neighboring Ivory Coast in Abidjan. "We can hear automatic weapons fire and the thuds of heavy weapons from the residence," said this man from near the presidential residence.
However, around noon (14 hours, in mainland Spain), the firing of heavy weapons ceased in the vicinity of the palace and the presidential residence, plunging the nearby neighborhoods in a strange calm. A resident of Abidjan told AFP Ouattara forces withdrew a few hours after launching the assault.
"As I understand, tried to take Gbagbo's residence this morning. The assault failed," the Reuters quoted a military source. "They could not break through, and all heavy weapons still hidden around Gbagbo's residence. Have been removed to rethink and re-plan," he said. Ouattara A spokesman denied that its troops had withdrawn, but could not give further details about the assault or clarify if he continued the fight.
This morning, the spokesman Ouattara, Affousy Bamba, said his forces had finally entered the residence. "Yes, they are in the process of entering the residence to capture Gbagbo. Do not have it yet, but are in the process. They are in the building," he said. In addition, the palace and the presidential residence, Gbagbo still controls the Agban military camp (the largest in the country), near which were also heard loud explosions.
Despite fighting in the country's economic capital, many Ivorians took to the streets to get food and water. "It's an assassination attempt," reported the spokesman for his government, Ahoua Don Mello, this morning. For his part, Gbagbo adviser Toussaint Alain had said to the French channel 'France 24' that the residence was being attacked by the French army and UN troops with heavy weapons and helicopters bombed by the French army.
Alain reported that since the bombing began on Monday French in the country have produced "more than a thousand victims only in Abidjan, but said the number may reach 2,000. France has denied taking part in the offensive on Wednesday. His defense minister has warned that Ouattara will not help to overthrow Gbagbo, but only intervene at the request of the United Nations to protect civilians.
"France can become involved at the request of the United Nations but not listen to any political force in Ivory Coast," said the minister Longuet. Of course, the executive fully Gallo has insisted that the outgoing president must go. "Laurent Gbagbo must leave the Presidential Residence, it is not a personal residence.
Is a resident of the state and he is not head of state of Ivory Coast", the French Minister for Cooperation, Alain de Raincourt. Moreover, France has blamed Gbagbo's failure of negotiation. "The negotiations that took place for hours yesterday between the environment Gbagbo and the Ivorian authorities failed due to the intransigence of Gbagbo.
Thus were interrupted," said gala chief diplomat, Alain Juppe, to the deputies of his country. Gbagbo "is not sincere in its willingness to negotiate its way out," he said. Ivorian President outgoing, meanwhile, is angered by the intervention of the ancient metropolis in crisis. "We're not in a negotiating phase.
My Progress where? To go where?" Said Gbagbo told French radio RFI Wednesday. Already on Tuesday, in an interview with French television channel LCI, Gbagbo refused to be negotiated and stated that his army had to order a cease-fire after the destruction of its weapons by air strikes on Monday.
"For peace to return to Ivory Coast, I and Ouattara, the two have to talk," he added. "I'm not a kamikaze. I love life. My voice is the voice of a martyr, no, no, no. I'm not looking for death. It is not my intention to die," he said in the interview. In negotiating the departure of Gbagbo, France and the United Nations demanded that the outgoing president acknowledged in writing his resignation and the victory of Ouattara.
"If it has refused to sign the documents that [France and the UN] was presented yesterday [on Tuesday], it is because something that had proposed legal and judicial basis," said his spokesman, Don Mello. Juppe made clear Wednesday that they are not conditions imposed by their country, but by the new Ivorian president.
"The conditions laid down by Ouattara are clear: Laurent Gbagbo calls accept his defeat and recognize the victory of the legitimately elected president," the minister said France. Although the outgoing president denied in the interview to be negotiating his departure, on Wednesday a UN spokesman has insisted that Gbagbo is still negotiating his surrender.
"The negotiations are continuing."
- Ivory Coast: Attack On Gbagbo's Bunker Stalled (07/04/2011)
- 'Final Assault' Launched on Gbagbo Bunker (06/04/2011)
- VIDEO: Ouattara troops 'storm Gbagbo bunker' (06/04/2011)
- Ouattara forces storm Gbagbo bunker in Ivory Coast (06/04/2011)
- VIDEO: Ouattara troops 'storm Gbagbo bunker' - BBC News (06/04/2011)
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