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Incumbent Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo

Forces loyal to the internationally recognized president of Ivory Coast have now entered the country’s commercial capital, Abidjan. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with the BBC’s John James in Ivory Coast about the latest developments there. Download MP3

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Marco Werman: I’m Marco Werman. This is The World, a co-production of the BBC World Service, PRI, and WGBH Boston. The White House says time is running out for Laurent Gbagbo in Ivory Coast. The U.S. government is calling on Gbagbo to step down as president, in order to spare the West African nation more violence. Gbagbo lost a presidential election in November but has refused to step down in favor of Alassane Quattara. He was the internationally recognized winner of the vote in November and today, forces loyal to him marched to the main Abidjan, issued their own ultimatum to Gbagbo loyalists.

[Audio clip in French: A tous ____ sans encore exitant. ]

Werman: That’s Quattara himself urging those who support Gbagbo to – in Quattara’s words – come back to legality. Clashes between the two rivals have left more than 460 people dead in Ivory Coast since November. But in the last 24 hours, opposition forces made big gains. Not only have they marched on Abidjan, but they also took control of Gbagbo’s hometown. Some reports say they even slept in Gbagbo’s bed there. The BBC’s John James is in Bouaké, the second largest city in Ivory Coast.

John James: There is in many ways, most likely, the final stage of the fighting, a major offensive which started on Monday and really has swept through most of the country now. And as you say, the violence has now come to Abidjan, which is the main city and sort of the end of the game, really. It definitely looks like a difficult mission now for Laurent Gbagbo.

Werman:  Now we heard Alassane Quattara earlier calling on Gbagbo supporters to join Quattara’s forces. Will they heed that call?

James: Well, it’s not the first time he’s made that call and several from the official state army have changed sides to join Alassane Quattara and also that’s been the case as his forces have moved south. So it seems that Laurent Gbagbo only has a few royal units now that he can count on.

Werman: Equally important, I noticed, it seems to be this message from Quattara’s people that if and when Gbagbo is picked up by troops loyal to Quattara, they have been instructed not to harm him. To, as they say, preserve his physical integrity. A warning like that could mean that some in Ivory Coast may want Gbagbo’s head at this point.

James: Yes. And those people who are angry with Laurent Gbagbo for his attempt to stay on after losing the election could well want to loot and also to take revenge for whatever people feel like taking revenge for. And so people like Laurent Gbagbo and several members of his entourage are potentially very vulnerable to attacks on their person as well as looting and the burning of houses. And we’ve certainly seen the burning of several houses of the people loyal to Laurent Gbagbo.

Werman: Now John, you were in the capital Yamoussoukro earlier today. The forces loyal to Alassane Quattara have now taken control there. What was the scene when you were in Yamoussoukro?

James: Yes. I mean, that’s the capital. I came from there about a week ago and came through a lot of pro-government barricades. Now, heading back there, all those government barricades have disappeared. And it’s the pro-Quattara forces that control the road. Extremely quiet. Most shops and businesses were certainly closed, but people were out on the streets as well. There wasn’t really much of a fight for Yamoussoukro. It’s a pro-Quattara town. People seemed relaxed. A lot of people were happy. So I think he’s got the support of the population in taking the capital.

Werman: Now Quattara’s forces have also taken San Pedro, and important cocoa exporting port city that houses the lucrative cocoa before it’s actually sent away for export. Cocoa is crucial to the affluence of Ivory Coast. So with Quattara’s forces now in control of San Pedro, are his chances of succeeding in this power struggle greatly advanced?

James: San Pedro is a key port, as you say. Cocoa is the country’s key crop, the world’s biggest producer of cocoa beans, the main ingredient in chocolate. So yes, keeping San Pedro is important as that is the last major objective before they arrive in Abidjan. And if it looks like the conflict was going to drag on, then it could be used as a sort of supply base. Abidjan looks like it’s close to falling, so it won’t be necessary. But it is important to control those key, strategic heights of the economy.

Werman: The BBC’s John James in Bouaké in central Ivory Coast. Thank you so much.

James: Thank you.

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