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Ouattara Forces Resume Fight for Presidential Residence in Ivory Coast

Scott Stearns | Accra April 07, 2011

Forces backing Ivory Coast's internationally recognized president are fighting for control of the presidential residence where the country's incumbent leader is refusing to surrender.

The battle for control of Abidjan is in its seventh day.

Forces loyal to incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo held off pro-Ouattara fighters late Thursday, supported by heavy weapons inside the presidential compound. French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet says about 200 troops are defending the compound, where Gbgabo is holding out in a bunker, refusing to acknowledge that he lost November's presidential election.

Pro-Ouattara forces gave French and United Nations officials more than one day to negotiate Gbagbo's surrender. But when he refused to sign a document recognizing Ouattara as the country's duly-elected president, the fight resumed.

Gbagbo supporters say their leader never intended to surrender and opened talks with French and U.N. officials only to negotiate a ceasefire after U.N. attack helicopters destroyed heavy weapons at the presidential residence and the main barracks.

Gbagbo attorney Alain Toussaint says Ouattara will never see Mr. Gbagbo's surrender.

Toussaint says Gbago will never surrender to anyone. Not to the Ouattara rebellion, not to the United Nations, not even to France. Toussaint says Gbagbo is the elected president of Ivory Coast because of the results declared by the constitutional council. He is not a king or an emperor who would surrender.

Gbagbo's claim to the presidency is based on the constitutional council annulling as fraudulent nearly 10 percent of all ballots cast in his run-off election with Ouattara. Ouattara's claim is based on electoral commission results certified by the United Nations.

Hundreds of people have died since fighting began in December, including many civilians. The U.N. is investigating reports of mass killings last week in a western province near the Liberian border.