Gbagbo Residence Attacked by UN and French Forces

Laurent Gbagbo’s residence was attacked by the United Nations and French helicopters. The UN and French helicopters have fired rockets on the residence as the UN said it was a revenge for assaults by his forces on UN headquarters and civilians. The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon has authorized at least two UN helicopters including six from French helicopters. He accused Gbagbo of using heavy weapons against the Ivory Coast civilians and the United Nations forces were trying to protect them.

Gbagbo’s spokesman, Ahoua Don Mello stated that the UN and French helicopters continue to fire at the President Gbagbo’s residence which was partly destroyed. He added that there is thick smoke coming from it, but they have no other details on the damage. No comment was made by him whether Gbagbo was residing at the time of attack or not. On Sunday, Abidjan remained stable with no end in sight to Ivory Coast’s civil war.

The internationally recognized winner of last November’s election, Alassane Quattara has taken a rough treatment in recent days. On Saturday, a human rights watch report quoted that the the forces loyal to Quattara has killed hundreds of civilian, raped his rivalry supporters and has burned the villages in the country’s west. The remaining survivors have given a detail description on the incident.

These claims have the prospective to damage the UN, EU and the African Union who has endorsed Quattara as the legitimate president and all the France part which launched the air strikes against the Gbagbo’s military, a week ago. However, this was continued last night and has appeared more deeply held up in the conflict by the day.

A West Africa analyst, Antony Goldman stated at the London-based PM Consulting that the situation might be beyond the control of both leaders. He said that the main regret has to be from all those who allowed this crisis to become a disaster and there was an absence of any intrusion after the election to resolve the issue, particularly from the African Union. He added that the absence of leadership in the first three months of this year in the Ivory Coast has lead to the creation of all the condition for this kind of violence. He concluded that the violence has gone beyond Gbagbo and Quattara and there is no sense either side of any middle ground.

The attack on the hotel was made on late Saturday leading to injury of one peacekeeper and was evacuated to the hospital with his serious injuries. One of the UN spokesmen said that the rockets and mortars landed in the hotel grounds shortly after the UN forces were attacked nearby.

Gbagbo is in his bunker at the presidential residence defended by around thousand me, where as Quattara is in the Golf Hotel under the protection of the United States. Currently, the two presidential rivals are in a standoff from their respective headquarters in Abidjan.