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Ivory Coast's embattled Gbagbo under seige in own residence
by Joseph Ernest April 6, 2011
Newscast Media -- French foreign minister Alain Juppe has said negotiations led by France to secure the departure of Ivory Coast's embattled leader have hit a snag.
"The negotiations which were carried out for hours yesterday between
the entourage of Laurent Gbagbo and Ivorian authorities have failed
because of Gbagbo's intransigence," Juppe told parliament on Wednesday.
President-elect
Alassane Ouattara's supporters descended upon Gbagabo's residence earlier
on Wednesday looking for him, however a spokesperson from the
Ouattara camp said troops had been ordered not to kill Ggagbo.
"Alassane Ouattara has given formal instructions that Gbagbo is to be
kept alive because we want to bring him to justice," a spokesperson said.
The news came hours after Edouard Guillaud, the French
armed forces chief, said on Wednesday Gbagbo's departure would come in
"a matter of hours".
South Africa, Togo and Angola are possible safe havens for Gbagbo
should he negotiate an exit from his West African country, African Union
(AU) sources said on Wednesday. Gbagbo, meanwhile, said it was not his "aim to die" fighting Ouattara forces and called for direct talks with his rival.
"I'm
not a kamikaze. I love life. My voice is not the voice of a martyr, no,
no, no, I'm not looking for death. It's not my aim to die," Gbagbo,
speaking from his residence on Tuesday, told the French TV channel LCI.
"For peace to return to Ivory Coast, I and Ouattara, the two of us, have to talk," he added.
Despite
all his talk about his desire to resolve the conflict Gbagbo refused to "sign a document" in
which he had to say he was ready to step down. This refusal infuriated
his opponents who are now determined to capture him.
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