Ivory Coast city rocked by heavy fighting

Fighters loyal to Alassane Ouatarra, the internationally recognised leader of Ivory Coast have been fighting to force out Laurent Gbagbo and have recently entered Abidjan in their final push.

Mr Gbagbo is continuing to refuse to give up his office despite intense fighting around the city and is thought to be potentially holed up in the presidential mansion, although he has not been seen now for more than five days.

Residents locked up in their homes reported barrages of heavy arms fire punctuated by detonations throughout the night and on the peninsula where the presidential palace is situated, buildings were shaking with each explosion, witnesses said.

A spokesman for Mr Ouattara, Patrick Achi, said the fighters had breached the city limit overnight and were waging battles at the palace and the presidential residence.

Mr Achi said the forces, who are former rebels who fought in a civil war a decade ago that left Ivory Coast divided, had seized RTI, the government-owned broadcaster.

About 10 pm on Thursday the state TV signal was cut. The chairman of the Commission of the African Union, Jean Ping, urged Gbagbo to immediately hand over power “in order to shorten the suffering of the Ivorians,” the Union said in a statement from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Mr Gbagbo lost last November’s presidential election according to his country’s election commission and international observers, but has refused to quit. Sanctions imposed on him and his inner circle have failed to dislodge him.

The armed offensive is the most severe threat that he has faced, and analysts say they expect Mr Gbagbo’s regime to fall within days. “It’s over – except for the shooting,” said the diplomat.