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UN: Ivory Coast Crisis Not Over Yet

   Margaret Besheer | The United Nations  April 11, 2011
   Local residents react to news of the capture of Laurent Gbagbo in the
   Youpougon neighborhood of Abidjan, Apr 11 2011

Photo: AP

   Local residents react to news of the capture of Laurent Gbagbo in the
   Youpougon neighborhood of Abidjan, Apr 11 2011

   U.N. peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy told reporters the main task now
   is to restore law and order in Abidjan and the rest of the country and
   begin the reconciliation process. He said there is also a huge
   humanitarian crisis to contend with.

   Speaking about the operation to capture Mr. Gbagbo, he credited the
   Forces Republican of President-elect Alassane Ouattara with Mr.
   Gbagbo's arrest.

   "Mr. Gbagbo surrendered to President Ouattara's forces. It was the
   forces of President Ouattara who came inside the residence - not UNOCI
   at all, and not [the French] Licorne [force]. It was President
   Ouattara's forces who entered the residence and Mr. Gbagbo surrendered
   to them," said Le Roy. "We, again, targeted the heavy weapons, but it
   was the forces of Mr. Ouattara who entered the residenc."

   On Sunday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon instructed the U.N.
   force, known as UNOCI, backed by French troops, to undertake a military
   operation to prevent the use of heavy weapons against civilians in
   Abidjan. Mr. Gbagbo's capture took place in the wake of that operation.
   Le Roy said Mr. Gbagbo and his wife Simone are in an apartment at the
   Golf Hotel, where Mr. Ouattara's government has been hunkered down
   since his election victory in late November. At Mr. Gbagbo's request,
   he is under U.N. protection.
   The peacekeeping chief also said the head of Laurent Gbagbo's forces,
   General Bruno Dogbo Ble, has called the United Nations to say he wants
   to surrender and lay down his forces' weapons. Le Roy said that more
   than 200 fighters had already effectively surrendered and UNOCI is
   collecting their weapons to ensure that fighting stops quickly. But he
   acknowledged there are still some pockets of resistance.
   President-elect Ouattara's U.N. Ambassador, Youssoufou Bamba, announced
   Mr. Gbagbo's capture to reporters. He said he expected fighting to stop
   as news spread of Mr. Gbagbo's surrender.