Gbagbo loyalists back ground in Côte d'Ivoire

Since Friday have loyal to Mr Gbagbo conquered territory in Abidjan, the economic capital, a French military operation forces repelled, attacked his rival headquarters and State television and radio, the broadcasting of messages recaptured Act of defiance.

Mr Gbagbo was surrounded even rival, Alassane Ouattara, the country's internationally recognized President, supported by troops from France, and the United Nations by forces loyal to his.

But on Saturday night, his troops of the Golf Hotel, where his headquarters has maintained Mr Ouattara, attacked to win since the presidential elections in November. A UN official said it was the first time Mr Gbagbo forces the hotel had attacked.

The hotel was of small mortars, eyewitnesses reported during the hotel staff, guests and Government Mr Ouattara took cover in the basement.

"Gbagbo's mercenaries lost men," said a hotel employee reached by telephone, refused, enter its name, fear for his safety.

A spokesman of the United Nations Mission in C?te d ' Ivoire, Amadoun Touré, declared but no ground troops in the RAID concerned were involved in, and the United Nations of forces artillery fire was returned.

The State RTI television and radio station, which had conquered Mr Ouattara troops 10 days earlier, came back on the air on Friday, returning to his role as the voice of the Gbagbo Government.

The network broadcast statements claimed the French force had attacked Mr Gbagbo residence and brought "Rebel" in the neighborhood to the Hill surrounded, deny claims French officials.

"The regime of President Laurent Gbagbo is still there," read another statement, doodle on the bottom of the screen. "We ask all Ivorians of the strong mobilization."

A French military rescue mission late Friday, defeated his troops. In response to a request for assistance from abroad, which could not identify French officials had French helicopter mounted efforts to save foreign staff from a diplomatic residence in the neighbourhood of Cocody, not far from Mr Gbagbo residence.

However, the aircraft encountered a heavier presence of Gbagbo loyalists as expected, under fire from small and at least an armored vehicle, said the French military destroyed his troops; the rescue operation has been canceled.

"Last night we observed, that they develop for their perimeter," despite a military blockade of Mr Ouattara, announced, Colonel Thierry Burkhard, a French military spokesman said. Pro-Gbagbo forces now surrounded several diplomatic residences take Mr Gbagbo stronghold, said Colonel Burkhard.

He declined to identify who had sought French assistance to the nation, say that it is not "reasonable" to do, because the concerned diplomatic staff were threatened or considered.

Beyond the Cocody neighbourhood have Mr Gbagbo forces again ground elsewhere in Abidjan and the neighbourhood of the plateau, the United Nations of peacekeeping Chief, Alain Le Roy, said Friday taken. Now they seem positions close to the Golf Hotel, picked up Ouattara and his Government for months, have holes in the Lord had been by surrounded by Mr Gbagbo forces and largely not leaving until recently. Mr. Le Roy said Mr Gbagbo was active in negotiations last week as a Verz?gerungsman?ver to his forces to consolidate their position, and had the areas around his connection with weapons even as his envoy to the international negotiations had been reinforced.

The negotiations zuneigte, attempted forces loyal to Mr Ouattara Mr Gbagbo of his residence, where he, to take refuge in a well appointed basement together with family, friends and helpers.

On Friday however, a shift in that seem to restore some semblance of normality in Abidjan has tactic that was by fighting and where water and electricity intermittent, was announced Mr Ouattara, he would close off pin Mr Gbagbo in his residence and him.

But Mr Gbagbo forces - "he is very good," according to Colonel Burkhard - proven so far too clever or also decided.

"they have nothing more to lose," said Colonel Burkhard.

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UN and France beat leader's forces in Côte d'Ivoire

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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Côte d'Ivoire: Presidential residence ',' in Abidjan - BBC News

5 April 2011, last updated at 03: 04 GMT UN/French helicopter Mr Gbagbo have heavy weapons attack was fighting in C?te d'Ivoire city, Abidjan, has taken a new turn with reports, that rooted ruler Laurent Gbagbo residence have been arrested.

Forces loyal said to Alassane Ouattara, internationally recognized President of the country, that they had taken the building after a fierce battle.

A spokesman for Mr Ouattara, Patrick Achi, said it was not yet clear whether Mr. Gbagbo had been within the BBC.

Earlier, UN and French helicopters attacked targets in the vicinity of the residence.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, said the attacks were ordered to defend civilians and were no declaration of war on Mr Gbagbo.

He said Mr Gbagbo forces had stepped up by the use of mortars, bazookas and heavy machine guns against civilians.

Five days fighting in the city, where Mr Gbagbo refuses to let you despite UN-approved results Office Mr Ouattara November won the presidential election, millions of civilians have caught were.

Loyal Mr Ouattara a dramatic military offensive began to forces in the last week go from the North and West.

'Still on the search'

Patrick Achi, a spokesman for Mr Ouattara, said the recognized President Mr Gbagbo forces were control of the residence and the search for.

Read the main world's largest cocoa ProducerOnce an oasis of calm in West AfricaOuattara recognized as President elect in 2010 international sanctions Gbagbo force hundreds killed, a million 9,000 UN peacekeepers fled 2003 ceasefire monitor "is the residence at many levels," he told the BBC.

"People saw that Gbagbo has been in the residence, but they are still looking after him."

Asked what would happen if Mr Gbagbo was captured, he said he would be arrested and "put".

There was no word of Mr Gbagbo camp in Ivory Coast, but one of his advisers in London, Abdon George Bayeto, expressed doubts about news that the residence had fallen.

"This is all propaganda and it is a war of psychology," he said.

Earlier, UN and French helicopter Mr Gbagbo attacked arsenal, firing of rockets on his heavy weapons and military camp.

A senior peacekeeping officials, Alain Le Roy, said, that the decision had based such measures for the protection of civilians on a strongly worded UN Security Council resolution authorising.

The use and caliber of heavy weapons by Gbagbo forces had he said days escalated sharply in the last.

The UN mission was almost continuous attacked and forced to act, he said.

The air strikes fell last strongholds by powers with a last attack on Mr Gbagbo loyal to his rival Mr Ouattara as looked, however, reported the BBC's Barbara Plett of the United Nations in New York.

Observers said that the timing been no coincidence as there is a feeling that the month-long stand-off between the two presidential claimants approached its end.

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