Former Ivory Coast Leader Gbagbo Arrested

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara called for calm Monday after forces stormed the president’s residence and arrested Laurent Gbagbo, whose refusal to accept the results of a presidential election last year plunged the West African nation into civil war.
“Finally, we have reached the dawn of a new era of hope,” Ouattara said in a televised address. “We had hoped this transfer had been different, but we have to focus on today.”
He urged his countrymen to lay down their weapons and said he has asked the justice minister to start legal proceedings against Gbagbo, his wife and his colleagues. Gbagbo is being held at the Golf Hotel, the headquarters of both Ouattara and the United Nations.
Fighting appeared to quickly end after Gbagbo’s arrest, said Alain Le Roy, under-secretary-general of the United Nations’ Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
“To my knowledge, most of the fighting has stopped,” he said, adding that “there are pockets of resistance here and there.”
Gbagbo asked for and is receiving U.N. protection, according to Le Roy, who said forces are also ensuring the security of the former leader’s wife.

Source: cnn.com

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