Ivorian strongman Laurent Gbagbo captured

Almaty. April 12. Kazakhstan Today - The elected Ivory Coast president ended a bloody, four-month standoff with the capture of his rival, the longtime strongman, who lost the vote but refused to give up power, Kazakhstan Today reports.

Forces loyal to Ivory Coast president-elect Alassane Ouattara, backed by French and UN troops, have captured his besieged rival Laurent Gbagbo, bringing an end to a bloody five-month crisis, The Telegraph reported.

The 65-year-old strongman, who had been holed up in the presidential residence in Abidjan for almost two weeks, was taken to the Golf Hotel, the president-elect's temporary headquarters, before being moved to a secure location on Monday.

Local television showed Mr Gbagbo looking bewildered by events, but apparently unhurt. Mr Gbagbo's wife, Simone, an evangelical Christian who is believed to have had an important influence on Mr Gbagbo's political decisions, was also arrested, along with her mother in law.

The news brought Mr Ouattara's supporters racing out on to the streets of Abidjan, which erupted with the sound of cheers, gunfire and car horns.

Soldiers at the French military base from where peacekeepers and helicopter gunships initiated the final assault on the presidential residence struggled to keep straight faces, while Ivorians working there made no secret of their delight.

Guillaume Soro, the Ivory Coast's prime minister, said that Mr Gbagbo had handed himself in to Mr Ouattara's forces. He appealed to Mr Gbagbo's remaining fighters to surrender, saying "there cannot be a manhunt."

The United Nations said Mr Gbagbo's forces had indicated their willingness to surrender, but it was unclear when a mechanism for them to be disarmed would be put in place or what his fate would be.

Alaine Le Roy, the Un peacekeeping chief, said Mr Ouattara "might want to prosecute him, but that is his call."

A diplomat living near the presidential residence said he could hear the celebrations from his window, a stark and welcome contrast to the gunfire that has reverberated around the area in recent weeks.

But the diplomat warned that Mr Ouattara, who won 54 per cent of the vote in internationally-supervised elections held in November which Mr Gbagbo refused to honour, will struggle to reunite his nation following allegations of mass atrocities in the west.

The power struggle between Mr Ouattara and Mr Gbagbo reflected deep tribal and religious tensions which have pitted the mainly-Christian south against northern Muslims.

Mr Le Roy also noted that the Ivory Coast continued to face "a huge humanitarian crisis," and warned that "the crisis is not over."

Mr Gbagbo came face to face with Mr Ouattara in the Golf Hotel but the president would not speak to him directly.

"He met Mr Ouattara so he could recognise him as president. Mr Ouattara didn't say anything. A journalist from Mr Ouattara's TV station asked Mr Gbagbo questions. Mr Gbagbo asked everybody to put down their weapons - the armed conflict is over."

Residents in Abidjan reported seeing a broadcast of Gbagbo calling for an end to the fighting.

Photo: CBS

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