ivory coast

Ivory Coast Leader Considers Surrender

After a four-month standoff, Ivory Coast strongman Laurent Gbago is negotiating the terms of his surrender, say United Nations officials. Gbago had refused to step down after losing the official election last year, but intervention from French and United Nations forces has forced him to reconsider. As late as yesterday, Gbago claimed that France was “at war” with the Ivory Coast. “It’s over but he’s still trying to play games,” said a senior Western diplomat in Abidjan. “The exact substance of what he’s trying to negotiate is foggy.” Even if Gbago agrees to step down, he will likely still be prosecuted, said Apollinaire Yapi, a spokesman for incoming elected President Alassane Ouattara. “He must be prosecuted. Do we keep him here, do we send him abroad, I don’t know, He must answer for his actions.”

Ivory Coast Leader Swayed by Force as He Considers Exit [NYT]

Ivory Coast Leader Considers Surrender