The battle of Abidjan is far from over for the forces loyal to Ivorian President elected Alassane Ouattara. Saturday, the Defence Forces and Security (FDS) of his rival, incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo, seem to have intensified their offensive-cons after strengthening their positions in the disputed areas of Plateau and Cocody.
Laurent Gbagbo, who lives in a fortified bunker located in the basement of his residence in Abidjan, still refuses to relinquish power. He seemed on the verge of defeat there are still three days after the blitzkrieg of pro-Ouattara now called "the people to resistance," according to his spokesman Ahoua Don Mello."President Gbagbo called for resistance against the bombing and the actions of the French army in Ivory Coast, because ultimately it is the French army that attacked us," said Ahoua Don Mello. The latter has also said that troops loyal to outgoing President "are trying to rebuild."
HQ Ouattara under fire from pro-Gbagbo
Symbol of the renewed vigor of the Gbagbo camp Saturday, the Golf Hotel, headquarters of Alassane Ouattara, has been a surprise attack in the afternoon. A first since the beginning of the post-election crisis in Ivory Coast, there are more than four months."The attack consisted of sniper fire from heavy gunfire and shelling has caused panic in the hotel. In addition to the hotel staff and civilians, some of the peacekeepers were Refugees in the basement, in the kitchens, "explains Luc Bragon a special envoys FRANCE 24 Côte d'Ivoire at the scene at the time. The UN military responsible for the safety of the elected president Alassane Ouattara responded to positions held not pro-Gbagbo. "These are only a few hundred meters from the hotel," says Luke Bragon.
A given that counselors prefer minimize Alassane Ouattara."Following this attack, the camp plays down Ouattara this event, which demonstrates, however, that the headquarters of the elected president is vulnerable and that the pro-Gbagbo in Abidjan are gaining ground," said Marc Smith, special correspondent for FRANCE 24 in Coast d'Ivoire.
For its part, the spokesman for the Gbagbo camp, however, strongly denied that the attack was carried out by his forces: "This is absolutely false. There was no attack of Golf", he told AFP, calling the incident an "imaginary attack."
The fact is that despite a quiet night, several hundred people chose to flee Sunday morning near the Hotel du Golf.
