Post date: Apr 11, 2011 2:8:56 PM
The United Nations and a spokesman for presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara say Ivory Coast's incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo has been arrested.
MAN, IVORY COAST (FILE - OCTOBER 15, 2010) REUTERS - Ivory Coast's incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo has been arrested, a spokeswoman for forces loyal to his rival presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara said on Monday (April 11).
Spokeswoman Affoussy Bamba told Reuters Gbagbo has been arrested and in Paris an advisor of the embattled president added French forces had detained Gbagbo.The United Nations said Gbagbo has surrended to Ouattara's forces.
Negotiations to persuade Gbagbo to quit stalled early on Wednesday (April 6) as he resisted pressure from the United Nations and France to sign a document renouncing his claim to power.
A defiant Gbagbo had earlier denied he was willing to surrender despite a fierce assault by forces loyal to Ouattara, whose victory in November's presidential election was certified by the United Nations but rejected by Gbagbo.
Last year's long-delayed election in the world's top cocoa producing nation was meant to draw a line under the civil war, but Gbagbo's refusal to cede power has plunged the country into violence that has killed more than 1,500 people.
Over the past week, forces loyal to Ouattara launched a major assault on Gbagbo's last strongholds in Abidjan, driving home their campaign to oust him.
The conflict drove cocoa prices lower as dealers bet on a swift end to Gbagbo's rule and a resumption of exports. The country's defaulted $2.3 billion Eurobond rose to a four-month high on Wednesday on raised expectations of repayment.