Hours after his capture, Mr Gbagbo appeared on a TV channel aligned with his rival Alassane Ouattara, calling for troops loyal to him to "lay down arms".
"I am calling for the fighting to stop," he said.
The incumbent president has been taken to Mr Ouattara's headquarters at the city's Golf Hotel.
Toussaint Alain, a Paris-based advisor loyal to Mr Gbagbo, claimed French special forces broke into the palace using tanks to make the arrest.
However, both French and UN officials have denied French troops penetrated the residence, saying the arrest was made by Ivorian forces.
"The ex-president Laurent Gbagbo has handed himself over to the Republican Forces of Ivory Coast," French armed forces spokesman Thierry Burkhard said.
Mr Gbagbo had refused to step down after losing UN-certified elections last November to Mr Ouattara, plunging the country into a violent confrontation that has left thousands dead and more than a million displaced.
Foreign Secretary William Hague welcomed the detention of Mr Gbagbo, claiming the former president had "acted against any democratic principles" in recent months.
He added that Britain had "long regarded" Mr Ouattara as the rightful president and hoped the change of leadership would allow the opportunity for a "democratic and peaceful" way forward.
Source: Sky News
Why couldn't he had saved his country men by doing this in the first place? Why? It had to take the spillage of blood, the arrival of international troops for him to do the right thing? Africans!Africans! Africans! Chei, na only God can help us!
ReplyDeletethis old man should be ashamed of himself
ReplyDeleteBecause he is a shameless man that's why?
ReplyDeleteI say he should get the same treatment the Liberians gave Samuel Doe.He can't waste innocent lives and expect the world to be lenient with him...HECK NO. The faster he's done away with the better for Ivorians. That should keep the other African leaders on their toes. The people always win.
ReplyDeleteI am an Ivorian living currently in Côte d'Ivoire...
ReplyDeletePlease don't talk about what you don't know!!!!
Gbagbo could have save his people....yes, But Ouattara could have too.
Those too have destroyed every little piece of unity and sense of brotherhood, here ...
We are a nation torn apart....and i'm not sure it will end soon...
I think they are both a shame and that it will take a long time for my country to recover....
Gbagbo is a shame not to have left in time....and Ouattara for bringing foreign armies in our country....These armies are acting with no regards at all for ivoirians...they remove the foreigners (white) and throw their bullets and missiles like their want. I'm living next to a camp, I know what I am saying...
I hope you understand now, what is really happennig here...because I don't speak english very well.
Gbagbo has lost, Ado too.....In fact we have all lost this battle
@oluwatosin- unfortunately a few other African dictators are still hanging around, waiting to be sorted out- Mugabe, Museveni (ok, he was elected a few months ago but he has been in power for 25 years), the president of Mauritania, Burkina Faso, etc. Gaddafi should be given the boot too but at least he has done a lot for his country to show for 42 years in power- Libya looks like a European country
ReplyDelete@yehni djidji.... I do see reason wth you. My in-laws live in Abidjan and have been forced to temporarily relocate to France since all these trouble started. I personally blame Laurent Gbagbo for the problems in your country because he lost the election fair and square, a true democrat who only has interest of the people he wants to serve will step down without waging war against the opposition and rightful president of Ivory coast @ the cost of millions of lives and properties. The UN and AU tried to broker peace, he simply shunned them. Obama tried, he snubbed him till the French were forced to intervene... Am pretty sure you know the details. I believe your country and it's citizens will heal itself/themselves with time. You all are in our prayers.
ReplyDeletePower is transient after all. He will join Charles Taylor at the Hague.
ReplyDeleteOluwatosin; Samuel Doe was butchered, so luckily Gbagbo will not have that treatment. France wanted him alive and not dead so he can face justice. I hope this puts an end to the bloodbath.
yehni djidji, your comment is ok, but lacked some serious points, he should have toe the path of honour and walk away than take useless risk (like in the Game of "who wants to be a Millionaire") which he is not even sure of despite all the plea, diplomacy and bargains, he should be killed by hanging for wasting innocent lives if am the Judge to serve as deterrent to other sit-tight, chameleonic African Leaders that has mortgaged their future(not mine)as they have ran out of ideas.
ReplyDelete