France Wants Gbagbo to Sign Promise to Cede Power
Photo: Reuters
Ivory Coast's incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo (file photo)
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France's foreign minister, Alain Juppe, said Tuesday that negotiators are "very close" to convincing Gbagbo to step down.
He later said France and the United Nations want Gbagbo to sign a document in which he agrees to renounce power and recognize Alassane Ouattara as president.
Most countries recognize Ouattara as the winner of Ivory Coast's November presidential election.
The developments followed a sixth day of fighting in Ivory Coast's main city, Abidjan. Pro-Ouattara forces swept across Ivory Coast in a rapid offensive that began little more than a week ago.
The U.N. mission in Ivory Coast says three Gbagbo generals have called to say they are ordering troops to lay down their weapons and turn them over to the U.N. One of the three is Gbagbo's army chief of staff Philippe Mangou, who earlier had called for a cease-fire.
Gbagbo is now believed to be in a bunker in his Abidjan home.
On Monday, U.N. and French forces attacked Gbagbo military camps, the presidential palace, and his residence. U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said the attacks were meant to stop Gbagbo forces from using heavy weapons against civilians.
Gbagbo supporters said the attacks amounted to an assassination attempt.
Hundreds of people have died since the post-election fighting began in December, including many civilians. A top U.N. human rights official, Ivan Simonovic, arrived in Abidjan Sunday to evaluate the situation. The U.N. has begun investigating reported mass killings that took place in the western town of Duekoue last week.
The U.N. says up to 1 million people have fled their homes since violence began in December. More than 100,000 have fled to neighboring Liberia, with smaller numbers going to Ghana.
Gbagbo has ruled Ivory Coast since 2000.
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