France, which showed a newfound muscularity of military strikes against Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi defending forces in Libya, heavy artillery attacked and Mr Gbagbo said armored vehicles to residence and presidential offices, two centres of power, a French military spokesman Monday night.
The United Nations said that it had created also in helicopter strikes against Mr Gbagbo forces in two of its basis, to prevent that they have the types of heavy weapons, which has been given during the crisis to civilians and United Nations staff.
By early Tuesday, Mr Gbagbo has been in a bunker under his residence and negotiated a possible surrender by the French Ambassador, according to Alain Lobognon, a spokesman for the Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro. Forces support Mr Gbagbo rival, Alassane Ouattara, were several hundred metres away.
The international attacks coincided with a renewed attack by local troops loyal to Mr Ouattara, the man of the United Nations, the African Union and other international organisations as the winners of last year presidential election acknowledged.
With the attacks in progress, Mr. Soro, who is Mr Ouattara, Prime Minister Monday, Mr Gbagbo declared rule now just hours away was from end.
"Our armed forces have made significant progress," Mr Soro said in a telephone interview. "In a few hours it will be over everything." "We came into the city Abidjan today, and I think that it will be soon."
Mr Gbagbo long urged international officials to resign, but Secretary General Ban Ki-moon took pains to say that the United Nations "no party of the conflict." He said that it had taken measures just because loyal to Mr Gbagbo "Bazookas, mortars and heavy machine guns against the civilian population" had used forces
He noted that Mr Gbagbo patrols shot United Nations forces and attacked the company's central in Abidjan "with heavy caliber snipers and mortars and bazookas" wounding four peacekeepers.
France, Ivory Coast of former colonial ruler, has deployed more than 1,500 soldiers in the country and played last month begin a crucial role in the rally of the United States and their allies of airstrikes in Libya.
In a statement Monday France said that it had joined the operation in C?te d'Ivoire at the request of the United Nations, with the intention of "neutralizing heavy weapons used against the civilian population and the United Nations staff in Abidjan."
Peacekeeping deadly fire with Pro-Gbagbo above have been forces, but represented a remarkable increase in the international efforts to Mr Gbagbo step down past the latest military commitment since the election in November the year losing to enforce.
Yet, it also Mr Gbagbo risks a strengthening most potent weapons propaganda:, which is he by foreign forces, particularly the French and the United Nations, is singled out in an attack on Ivorian sovereignty. These ideas, every night for months in the national television, thousands of Gbagbo repeatedly have supporters and soldiers, by you them a passion, it over and over map aroused.
Until now but bear no resemblance to the reality on the ground these instructions.
Mr Soro dismissed in advance evidence to suggest that the French and the United Nations was offensive undue foreign interference. "they have a mandate to protect of the civilian population," he said. "Gbagbo has committed many crimes against the civilian population, so this is absolutely appropriate."
Hard have pits, Mr Gbagbo, loyalist troops to protect a former University historian, which turns autocrat in the course of a long political career in a hard line.
On Monday the city in a renewed push entered more than 2,000 fighters support Mr Ouattara, to oust him his spokesman said.
"This is the final assault," said the spokesman, Apollinaire Yapi. "I would say this is the General offensive we expected." "So far, the raids were Gbagbo's forces to test."
Other Ouattara officials decided that Monday military measures added to the pressure on the Mr Gbagbo.
"Front is open," said as rental Sindou, consultant Mr Soro. "The operations have begun." "Very quickly, we will restore security in Abidjan continue."
As during Monday's attack intensified the fighting, residents described an intimidating universe of the sustainable gunfire and booms and a fourth according to out just day unable to coach.
Some languages running and of food. "We are lying flat;" the guns does not stop, "A resident said the Cocody neighbourhood, where Mr Gbagbo, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals." He was not only his own five children, but also seven of a related protect. "It's very, very hard," he said.
Mr Soro said the United Nations and French attacks the combat would cut: "The election results must be respected." "The rule of law must be restored."
Dan Bilefsky carried coverage of the United Nations.
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