French FM says leader is trying to strike a deal to cede power

ABIDJAN, Cote d'Ivoire - Cote d'Ivoire incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo hunkered down in a bunker at his home on Tuesday after being cornered by his arch rival's followers, as his own forces silenced their weapons and asked for a cease-fire.

Having resisted calls to cede power to internationally recognized president Alassane Ouattara for four months, Gbagbo was now trying to strike a deal to quit, according to the former colonial power France.

"We are today I hope on the brink of convincing Mr Gbagbo to leave power and let Alassane Ouattara exercise" power, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said.

As events rapidly unfolded in the economic capital Abidjan, United Nations mission UNOCI said Gbagbo's closest advisers, both military and civilian, had deserted him.

"With a handful of persons, he is known to have retreated to the basement bunker of the presidential residence," read a UNOCI statement.

Fierce fighting has rocked Abidjan for two days since Ouattara's fighters launched a "final assault" to remove Gbagbo while French and UN helicopters attacked his barracks and the palace to take out heavy weapons on Monday.

UNOCI received three separate telephone calls early Tuesday from leaders of pro-Gbagbo forces, saying orders were being given to stop fighting.

One of them, Gbagbo's army chief General Philippe Mangou, said his troops had stopped fighting against rival Alassane Ouattara's forces.

"Following the bombardment by the French forces on some of our positions and certain strategic points in the city of Abidjan, we have ourselves stopped fighting and have asked the general commanding ONUCI (the UN force) for a cease-fire," Mangou said.

This would allow for the "protection of the population, soldiers, the Republican Guard ensuring the president's security, the president himself and his family, and members of government", he added.

The UN mission said its troops had been ordered to offer protection to members of Gbagbo's army who have laid down their arms.

South Africa is "deeply concerned" by the violence, its foreign minister said on Tuesday. "South Africa is deeply concerned by the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Cote d'Ivoire," Maite Nkoana-Mashabane told journalists.

The camp of the internationally recognized president Ouattara made a final attempt on Monday to take over control of the West African country.

The camp's spokesman Alain Lobognon said that forces backing Ouattara started the final offensive in the afternoon at the main targets - the state television, the presidential palace and the presidential residence. The declaration came amid reports that 4,000 fighters had entered the city to join the some 5,000 pro-Ouattara warriors fighting day in and day out since Thursday.

Also on Monday, the United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire undertook a military operation together with French forces against pro-Gbagbo forces.

Nick Birnback, spokesperson for the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, told Xinhua that the operation was meant to prevent the use of heavy weapons against civilians and UN peacekeepers.

He accused Gbagbo's forces of having consistently used heavy weapons against civilians and peacekeepers in recent days, while stressing that the operation was undertaken within the mandate of UN Resolution 1975.

The resolution, adopted on March 30, authorizes the UNOCI to protect civilians amid violent clashes between forces loyal to Gbagbo and those supporting Ouattara.

AFP-Reuters-Xinhua