Latest reports on Tuesday claimed that Ivory Coast’s defiant leader, Laurent Gbagbo, was calling for a ceasefire after opposition forces surrounded the complex where he was apparently hiding in the basement.
Mr Gbagbo officially lost the election in November to the new UN-recognised President Allasane Ouattara, but has tried to hold onto power in the city of Abidjan. However, it now appears that forces of Mr Ouattara, with aid from French and UN air power, have finally fought their way through. Hundreds of fatalities were alleged over the weekend, although there was no clarity over who was responsible. Thousands of civilians have fled the area as a result of the bloody conflict.
The call for a ceasefire, reportedly from Mr Gbagbo’s Military Chief, hopefully signals an end to the violence, but whether he has decided to surrender the Presidency remains to be seen.
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