Laurent Gbagbo, surrounded by soldiers loyal to Alassane Ouattara, appearing on TV footage on Ivorian television
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast - French special forces have captured Ivory Coast dictator Laurent Gbagbo and handed him over to rebel forces following a fierce battle today, a spokeswoman for presidential rival Alassane Ouattara has claimed. It is likely to hasten an end to the bloody fighting in the African country which has claimed hundreds of lives over the past few weeks. Sources close to Gbagbo said he was held following an all-out assault on his official home in Abidjan.
- He is currently being held at the Golf Hotel in the city, along with his wife and other members of his family, as well as advisors.
- The arrest was made to ‘avoid a bloodbath’ in Ivory Coast, as Gbagbo defiantly held on to power more than four months after losing a presidential election, said a French Foreign Ministry source.
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