PARIS (Reuters) – French special forces have detained Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo and handed him to leaders of the rebel opposition, after French tanks forced their way into his residence, a Gbagbo adviser in France said.
"Gbagbo has been arrested by French special forces in his residence and has been handed over to the rebel leaders," adviser Toussaint Alain told Reuters.
A French foreign ministry source could not immediately confirm that French forces had detained Gbagbo. "We have no evidence that can confirm that," the source said.
Earlier on Monday a column of more than 30 armored vehicles advanced toward Gbagbo's residence in Abidjan, a witness told Reuters, and Alain said they had penetrated the building.
"It's French forces taking in the rebels," he said. "French special forces are inside the residence."
(Reporting by Gerard Bon, John Irish and Catherine Bremer; editing by David Stamp)
THE hunted emerge from the forest as darkness descends along the equator. In the shadows of dusk the children are the first to appear, ghostlike, as the acrid black smoke from distant bushfires floats high above the primeval canopy that has held them prisoner for days.
Soldiers loyal to president-elect Alassane Ouattara order men suspected of supporting Laurent Gbagbo to strip and hand over their mobile phones in Abidjan yesterday. Picture: AP Source: AP
The unspeakable horrors inside Duokoue Ivory Coast
By Bernard Gbayee Goah
Portland Oregon USA
Email: bgoah76@yahoo.com
The unspeakable horrors are now exposed by what the outside world does not see inside Duoukoue Ivory Coast.
When it is all over, anyone visiting Doukeu would largely find empty houses across the city with few foreign residents.
Looking for the original residents of Doukeu would be like entering Warsaw after World War II and looking for Jews.
A visitor would not need to tour all of Doukeu to know that something terrible had happened.
Shockingly, under the watchful eyes of the United Nations, an unspeakable mass slaughter of innocent men, women, and children took place in that part of the world.
Many critics believe that the “Duoukoue slaughter” was not an isolated outburst from thin air but rather a calculated act designed and carried out by elements backed by the international community and the African Union.
Following the April 14th, 1979 rice rebellion during which the security forces shot and killed over 140 Liberians and jailed hundreds more, Liberians in Monrovia adapted a popular song which they sang everywhere in protest against the atrocities committed by the goons of the Tolbert administration. It went something like this: “April 14, aye yah, Tolbert mistake, yeah…..”. It was not long after this tragedy, 11 months to be exact, that the Tolbert Government fell in a coup d’état led by Master Sergeant Samuel K. Doe.
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast – Ivory Coast's strongman leader Laurent Gbagbo holed up in a bunker inside the presidential residence Tuesday, defiantly maintaining he won the election four months ago even as troops backing the internationally recognized winner encircled the home.
Laurent Gbagbo is "negotiating his surrender", Ally Coulibaly, the ambassador to France appointed by his rival for the Côte d’Ivoire’s presidency, Alassane Ouattara, told RFI Tuesday.
"I believe Laurent Gbagbo is alive,” he said Tuesday. “I have learned that he is negotiating his surrender."
Monrovia — High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres and other senior UN officials warned this week in Monrovia that escalating fighting and massive population displacement in neighbouring Côte d'Ivoire threatens Liberia's own fragile eight-year peace.
When influential politicians and decision-makers, along with businessmen armed with money and connections, sit before a university lecturer uncertain of his protection, academics take the backseat while influence runs ahead.
Two generals close to Laurent Gbagbo were Tuesday holding talks to work out the conditions under which he could surrender, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said. UN officials confirm that Gbagbo is ready to throw in the towel.
Looting broke out in various parts of Abidjan late Thursday as chaos spread with the arrival of forces backing internationally recognized president Alassane Ouattara while the whereabouts of incumbent Laurent Gbagbo remained unknown.
WE WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN BY THANKING THE MEDIA FOR COMING TODAY TO COVER THIS HISTORIC EVENT. THE TIME FOR TALKING IS OVER. IT’S NOW TIME FOR ACTION; IT’S TIME TO MOVE THIS COUNTRY FORWARD; IT’S TIME FOR A NEW ORIENTATION, AND IT’S TIME FOR A NEW OUTLOOK!
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – France and Nigeria circulated a draft resolution to the U.N. Security Council on Friday that would impose sanctions on Ivory Coast's incumbent leaders and ban heavy weapons from the Abidjan area.
Taking note of the people's uprisings across North Africa, the Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste of Burkina Faso denounces the repression of President Blaise Compaoré's regime.
At a time when the people of Tunisia and Egypt have driven the dictators Ben Ali and Mubarak out of their countries, the people of sub-Saharan Africa should not be forgotten and must be supported. The people of Burkina Faso, 'the country of honest men' (the name given to them by the revolutionary Thomas Sankara), have been fighting for weeks against the regime which, since 1987, has prevented Burkina Faso from living in freedom and dignity. This regime is that of Blaise Compaoré, who recently won the November 2010 presidential elections with more than 80.15 per cent of the vote.
A French warplane fired on a Libyan military vehicle on Saturday afternoon, according to the French military. The Defence Ministry said about twenty planes are involved in operations over the country to enforce a UN-sanction no-fly zone over the country to keep leader Moamer Kadhafi's troops from attacking rebels.
WHO'S EATING THE SOLDIERS' FOOD?Obtained documents reveal Huge Losses Reflected In Contract Deal Between the Ministry of National Defense And Lebanese Rice Supplier (SWAT), Cutting Food Supply Intended For New Army’s SoldiersNat Bayjay, nbayjay@frontpageafrica.com
By: Gonda Duo
Washington, DC Is he a chip off the old block? That’s what people are asking nowadays wherever politics is discussed and the name “TQ HARRIS” comes up. This name has become a household word.
But who is THOMAS QUELLEN HARRIS, JR.? And what sets him apart from the other politicians? In seeking answers to these questions, I decided to research this rising star who happens to be the son of a famous Nimba citizen – the late Hon. THOMAS Q. HARRIS, SR.
The elder HARRIS’ political career began as a paramount chief. As the leader of his people, he worked diligently to effect meaningful changes which brought development not only to Tappita District but the entire county and the nation as a whole.
Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. – A Einstein
Drawing the line in Liberia
Crimes sponsored, committed, or masterminded by handful of individuals cannot be blamed upon an entire nationality. In this case, Liberians! The need for post-war justice is a step toward lasting peace, stability and prosperity for Liberia. Liberia needs a war crimes tribunal or some credible legal forum that is capable of dealing with atrocities perpetrated against defenseless men, women and children during the country's brutal war. Without justice, peace shall remain elusive and investment in Liberia will not produce the intended results. - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Men with unhealthy characters should not champion any noble cause
They pretend to advocate the cause of the people when their deeds in the dark mirror nothing else but EVIL!! When evil and corrupt men try to champion a cause that is so noble … such cause, how noble it may be, becomes meaningless in the eyes of the people - Bernard Gbayee Goah.
If Liberia must move forward ...
If Liberia must move forward in order to claim its place as a civilized nation amongst world community of nations, come 2017 elections, Liberians must critically review the events of the past with honesty and objectivity. They must make a new commitment to seek lasting solutions. The track records of those who are presenting themselves as candidates for the position of "President of the Republic of Liberia" must be well examined. Liberians must be fair to themselves because results from the 2011 elections will determine the future of Liberia’s unborn generations to come - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Liberia's greatest problem!
While it is true that an individual may be held responsible for corruption and mismanagement of funds in government, the lack of proper system to work with may as well impede the process of ethical, managerial, and financial accountability - Bernard Gbayee Goah
What do I think should be done?
The situation in Liberia is Compound Complex and cannot be fixed unless the entire system of government is reinvented. Liberia needs a workable but uncompromising system that will make the country an asylum free from abuse, and other forms of corruption.
Any attempt to institute the system mentioned above in the absence of rule of law is meaningless, and more detrimental to Liberia as a whole - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Liberia's Natural Resources Besides land water and few other resources, most of Liberia’s dependable natural resources are not infinite, they are finite and therefore can be depleted. Liberia’s gold, diamond, and other natural resources will not always be an available source of revenue generation for its people and its government. The need to invent a system in government that focuses on an alternative income generation method cannot be over emphasized at this point - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Liberia needs a proper system If Liberians refuse to erect a proper system in place that promotes the minimization of corruption and mismanagement of public funds by government institutions, and individuals, there will come a time when the value of the entire country will be seen as a large valueless land suited on the west coast of Africa with some polluted bodies of waters and nothing else. To have no system in place in any country is to have no respect for rule of law. To have no respect for rule of law is to believe in lawlessness. And where there is lawlessness, there is always corruption - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Solving problems in the absence of war talks
As political instability continues to increase in Africa, it has become abundantly clear that military intervention as a primary remedy to peace is not a durable solution. Such intervention only increases insecurity and massive economic hardship. An existing example which could be a valuable lesson for Liberia is Great Britain, and the US war on terror for the purpose of global security. The use of arms whether in peace keeping, occupation, or invasion as a primary means of solving problem has yield only little results. Military intervention by any country as the only solution to problem solving will result into massive military spending, economic hardship, more fear, and animosity as well as increase insecurity. The alternative is learning how to solve problems in the absence of war talks. The objective of such alternative must be to provide real sustainable human security which cannot be achieved through military arm intervention, or aggression. In order to achieve results that will make the peaceful coexistence of all mankind possible, there must be a common ground for the stories of all sides to be heard. I believe there are always three sides to every story: Their side of the story, Our side of the story, and The truth – Bernard Gbayee Goah
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