The Ivory Coast Conflict (84 picture)

A lot of attention has been going out to the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, but we must not forget the struggle that has been going on in Africa’s Ivory Coast since December 2010. Election were held on November 28th 2010 and sitting President Laurent Gbagbo lost to his rival Alassane Ouattara. Gbagbo, however, refused to leave office and a stand off ensued between supporters of both parties. The results were sanctions, deaths, injuries and refugees fleeing Ivory Coast. After months of doing nothing the U.N. and France finally stepped in and sent in troops to drive Gbagbo out. He was arrested yesterday and is now being held in the hotel which also serves as Ouattara’s HQ.
Will the unrest now die down? Highly unlikely, and as the Ivory Coast is the world’s largest supplier of cocoa beans, be prepared to see your chocolate go up in price.
WARNING: SOME IMAGES CONTAIN GRAPHIC SCENES OF INJURY OR DEATH

101. Soldiers loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara gather before moving to the front line during fighting on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 8, 2011. Forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, besieged in his Abidjan residence, have retaken ground and are edging closer to where rival presidential claimant Ouattara is holed up, the United Nations said. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

202. Ivorian cocoa growers protest against sanctions in front of the EU delegation building in Abidjan February 17, 2011. Ivory Coast's cocoa regulator estimated on Thursday it still had 300,000 tonnes of cocoa left to come out of farms in the 2010/11 season, that can go nowhere while EU and United States sanctions are preventing shipping. The sign (C) reads Sarkozy, EU, Ouattara united in order to starve the farmers. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon.

303. Protesters stand near burning tyres at a road block in Abobo in Abidjan February 19, 2011. Ivorian security forces fired live bullets and teargas on Saturday to disperse protesters in Abidjan calling for incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo to step down, wounding at least one of them, witnesses said. His rival, Alassane Ouattara, has called for Egypt-style mass protests to oust Gbagbo, who has refused to step down as leader of the world's top cocoa grower after a Nov. 28 presidential election that U.N.-certified results show Ouattara won. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

404. Anti-Gbagbo protester holds a machete near a roadblock and burning tyres in the Abobo area of Abidjan March 3, 2011. Ivorian security forces shot dead seven women protestors on Thursday and the United Nations said at least 365 people had died in violence since disputed elections that have taken the country to the brink of civil war. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

505. Anti-Gbagbo protester holds a knife near a roadblock and burning tyres in the Abobo area of Abidjan March 3, 2011. Ivorian security forces shot dead seven women protestors on Thursday and the United Nations said at least 365 people had died in violence since disputed elections that have taken the country to the brink of civil war. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

606. Residents flee with their belongings after clashes between forces loyal to incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo and his rival Alassane Ouattara in Abobo, in Abidjan February 25, 2011. GGun battles and explosions raged overnight in an Abidjan neighbourhood, residents said, where mysterious insurgents the local press are calling the invisible commandos have risen up against Gbagbo. REUTER/Luc Gnago

707. Children bathe at St. Ambrose church in Angree, Abidjan March 1, 2011, a temporary refuge for people fleeing from clashes between forces loyal to incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo and his rival Alassane Ouattara. Security in Ivory Coast is deteriorating, with gun battles between rival forces most of last week and wider hostilities resuming across a north-south ceasefire line that had been largely quiet since the 2002-3 civil war ended in stalemate. Insurgents believed to back Ouattara now control of most of the northern Abidjan suburb of Abobo after the clashes. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

808. Supporters of Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo hold a placard as they attend a rally in Plateau, near the presidential palace in Abidjan March 26, 2011. Thousands of youth supporters of Gbagbo gathered around his presidential palace on Saturday in a show of support, as days of fierce fighting between his security forces and insurgents continued. The placard reads, Gbagbo our president. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

909. Ivory Coast's President Laurent Gbagbo flashes two thumbs-up during his inauguration at the presidential palace in Abidjan December 4, 2010. Gbagbo was sworn in as Ivory Coast's president on Saturday after his election victory was rejected by world leaders but accepted by the army, raising fears of a power struggle. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

1010. Supporters of Ivory Coast's incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo hold aloft an Ivory Coast national flag during a rally in Yopougon, Abidjan December 29, 2010. The European Union will tighten sanctions against Gbagbo next month, expanding a list of his supporters to be targeted after a disputed election, diplomats said on Wednesday. REUTERS/ Thierry Gouegnon

1111. Youth supporters of Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo have their hair cut as they gather at a stadium at army headquarters to sign up for military service in Abidjan March 21, 2011. Thousands of youth supporters of Gbagbo answered a call to join the army on Monday, adding fuel to a violent power struggle that risks sending the country back to civil war. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

1212. A fighter from the Republican Forces rebels smokes a cigarette in the village of Pekanhouebly on the border of Ivory Coast and Liberia, March 24, 2011. The U.N. Human Rights Council agreed on Friday to send an independent commission to investigate killings and other crimes in Ivory Coast which is on the verge of civil war. Picture taken March 24, 2011. REUTERS/Simon Akam

1313. A pro-Ouattara fighter from a group which calls itself the invisible commandos walks on a street in northern Abidjan's Abobo district March 26, 2011. Fighting in Ivory Coast's main city is spreading and the death toll from a power struggle between incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo and his rival Alassane Ouattara is mounting. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

1414. A pro-Ouattara fighter from a group which calls itself the invisible commandos holds a gun in northern Abidjan's Abobo district March 26, 2011. Fighting in Ivory Coast's main city is spreading and the death toll from a power struggle between incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo and his rival Alassane Ouattara is mounting. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

1515. Forces loyal to Ivorian presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara prepare to advance on the capital Abidjan April 1, 2011. Fierce fighting spread across Abidjan on Friday as troops loyal to Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo fended off attacks by forces supporting Ouattara's rival claim to the presidency. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

1616. Forces loyal to Ivorian presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara prepare to head to the frontline in the capital Abidjan, April 2, 2011. Soldiers of Ivory Coast's rival leaders battled for the presidential palace, military bases and state TV in the main city Abidjan on Saturday, in a conflict becoming so brutal that it killed 800 people in one town alone. Advancing soldiers backing Alassane Ouattara, who U.N.-certified results show won a Nov. 28 presidential election, met stiff resistance from fighters remaining loyal to incumbent Laurent Gbagbo, who has refused to step down. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

1717. Forces loyal to Ivorian presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara wait behind an injured man in the capital Abidjan, April 2, 2011. Soldiers of Ivory Coast's rival leaders battled for the presidential palace, military bases and state TV in the main city Abidjan on Saturday, in a conflict becoming so brutal that it killed 800 people in one town alone. Advancing soldiers backing Alassane Ouattara, who U.N.-certified results show won a Nov. 28 presidential election, met stiff resistance from fighters remaining loyal to incumbent Laurent Gbagbo, who has refused to step down. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

1818. Forces loyal to Ivorian presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara prepare to head to the frontline in the capital Abidjan, April 2, 2011. Soldiers of Ivory Coast's rival leaders battled for the presidential palace, military bases and state TV in the main city Abidjan on Saturday, in a conflict becoming so brutal that it killed 800 people in one town alone. Advancing soldiers backing Alassane Ouattara, who U.N.-certified results show won a Nov. 28 presidential election, met stiff resistance from fighters remaining loyal to incumbent Laurent Gbagbo, who has refused to step down. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

1919. Pro-Gbagbo soldiers patrol around the Presidential Palace, which is under their control, in Abidjan April 3, 2011. Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara rejected UN charges that his forces massacred hundreds of civilians in the west of Ivory Coast as fighting raged in Abidjan to dislodge incumbent Laurent Gbagbo. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

2020. Forces loyal to Ivorian presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara run in the rain as they gather outside the capital Abidjan, April 3, 2011. Fighters loyal to Ivory Coast presidential rivals Laurent Gbagbo and Ouattara held onto positions around the main city Abidjan on Sunday, a day that saw less fighting than the previous three. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

2121. Forces loyal to Ivorian presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara gather outside the capital Abidjan, April 3, 2011. Fighters loyal to Ivory Coast presidential rivals Laurent Gbagbo and Ouattara held onto positions around the main city Abidjan on Sunday, a day that saw less fighting than the previous three. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

2222. Forces loyal to Ivorian presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara gather outside the capital Abidjan, April 3, 2011. Fighters loyal to Ivory Coast presidential rivals Laurent Gbagbo and Ouattara held onto positions around the main city Abidjan on Sunday, a day that saw less fighting than the previous three. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

2323. Forces loyal to Ivorian presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara gather outside the capital Abidjan, April 3, 2011. Fighters loyal to Ivory Coast presidential rivals Laurent Gbagbo and Ouattara held onto positions around the main city Abidjan on Sunday, a day that saw less fighting than the previous three. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

2424. Residents try to get into a bus at the bus station of Adjame in Abidjan March 20, 2011. Thousands of Ivorians fleeing violence in the commercial capital Abidjan gathered in its main bus station on Sunday, crowding onto buses carrying suitcases full of belongings they had salvaged to head to the countryside. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

2525. Residents try to get into a bus at the bus station of Adjame in Abidjan March 20, 2011. Thousands of Ivorians fleeing violence in the commercial capital Abidjan gathered in its main bus station on Sunday, crowding onto buses carrying suitcases full of belongings they had salvaged to head to the countryside. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

2626. Foreigners wait for transport to return to their home countries, in Abidjan March 29, 2011. Thousands are fleeing violence in Abidjan after the November 28, 2010 election that was meant to reunite a country instead pushed it to the brink of war. Forces loyal to Ivory Coast's Alassane Ouattara took control of two more key towns as they pushed south on Tuesday towards a major port in the west and got within 200 km of the main city of Abidjan, witnesses said. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

2727. Workers are seen in the Pharmacie de la Sante Publique (Public Health Medicine) warehouse in Abidjan March 17, 2011. Pharmacies and clinics in the country are running out of supplies of certain medicines, after the European Union (EU) imposed sanctions on Ivory Coast incumbent Laurent Gbagbo and his backers to deepen his diplomatic isolation. Gbagbo is in a power struggle with Alassane Ouattara, with both claiming victory in a November 28 election meant to reunite the world's top cocoa grower after a 2002-3 civil war, but which has instead deepened divisions. REUTERS/ Thierry Gouegnon

2828. Children play in a UNHCR tent at St. Ambrose church in Angree in Abidjan March 18, 2011. The church is being used as a temporary refuge for people fleeing from clashes between forces loyal to incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo and his rival Alassane Ouattara. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

2929. Explosions are seen during an attack by U.N. and French armed forces in Abidjan April 4, 2011. French helicopters opened fire on a military camp in Abidjan on Monday, French armed forces spokesman Thierry Burkhard said. Earlier, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he had authorised France's military to join a U.N. operation against forces loyal to Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo. REUTERS/Stringer

3030. Soldiers loyal to Laurent Gbagbo patrol the lagoon of Ebrie in Abidjan April 4, 2011. Fighters backing Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara streamed into the main city Abidjan on Monday in what they called a final assault to remove Laurent Gbagbo from his stronghold. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

3131. Explosions are seen at a camp of soldiers loyal to Laurent Gbagbo during an attack by U.N. and French armed forces in Treichville in Abidjan April 4, 2011. U.N. and French helicopters attacked Gbagbo's last strongholds in Abidjan on Monday as forces loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara streamed into the city from the north. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

3232. A soldier loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara sits along a road as fighting flares across the country's main city Abidjan April 4, 2011. U.N. and French helicopters attacked Laurent Gbagbo's last strongholds in Abidjan on Monday as forces loyal to Ouattara streamed into the city from the north. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

3333. A convoy of troops loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara drives towards the country's main city Abidjan April 4, 2011. U.N. and French helicopters attacked Laurent Gbagbo's last strongholds in Abidjan on Monday as forces loyal to Ouattara streamed into the city from the north. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

3434. A soldier loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara lies on a road as fighting flares across the country's main city Abidjan April 4, 2011. U.N. and French helicopters attacked Laurent Gbagbo's last strongholds in Abidjan on Monday as forces loyal to Ouattara streamed into the city from the north. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

3535. The body of a man lies near a fuel station after heavy fighting in Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan, April 5, 2011. Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo was negotiating the terms of his departure from power on Tuesday following a fierce assault by forces loyal to his presidential rival backed by U.N. and French helicopter airstrikes. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

3636. A French tank crosses General de Gaulle bridge in Abidjan April 5, 2011. Four French tanks and several armoured personnel vehicles crossed bridges formerly held by forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo in Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan on Tuesday, a Reuters correspondent said. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

3737. A boy, who fled the post election violence in Ivory Coast, smiles at the camera on the outskirts of Zwedru town, Liberia, April 4, 2011. More than 125,000 Ivorians have fled to Liberia, while 7,000 have crossed into Ghana, 1,700 into Togo, and about 1,000 into Guinea, according to the UNHCR. Picture taken April 4, 2011. REUTERS/Benoit Matsha-Carpentier/International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies/Handout

3838. Siblings, Innocent (L-R), Patricia and Mariss, who fled the post-election violence in Ivory Coast, are pictured in Zualay, Liberia, April 5, 2011. More than 125,000 Ivorians have fled to Liberia, while 7,000 have crossed into Ghana, 1,700 into Togo, and about 1,000 into Guinea, according to the UNHCR. The siblings have no news of their parents. Picture taken April 5, 2011. REUTERS/Benoit Matsha-Carpentier/International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies/Handout

3939. People cook at a transit camp for refugees who fled the post-election violence in Ivory Coast, in Zorgowee, Liberia, April 5, 2011. More than 125,000 Ivorians have fled to Liberia, while 7,000 have crossed into Ghana, 1,700 into Togo, and about 1,000 into Guinea, according to the UNHCR. Picture taken April 5, 2011. REUTERS/Benoit Matsha-Carpentier/International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies/Handout

4040. Newcomers arrive at a transit camp for refugees who fled the post-election violence in Ivory Coast, in Zorgowee, Liberia, April 5, 2011. More than 125,000 Ivorians have fled to Liberia, while 7,000 have crossed into Ghana, 1,700 into Togo, and about 1,000 into Guinea, according to the UNHCR. Picture taken April 5, 2011. REUTERS/Benoit Matsha-Carpentier/International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies/Handout

4141. Soldiers loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara ride a vehicle through the main city Abidjan April 6, 2011. Forces loyal to Ouattara launched a heavy attack on Wednesday on the bunker where Laurent Gbagbo was defying efforts to force him to cede power, residents said. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

4242. Women carry water in the main city Abidjan, April 6, 2011. Forces loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara on Wednesday stormed the residence of incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo who has refused to cede power, a spokeswoman for Ouattara forces told Reuters. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

4343. A soldier loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara holds a good luck charm at a roadside in the main city of Abidjan April 7, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

4444. Soldiers loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara ride a vehicle through the main city Abidjan April 6, 2011. Forces loyal to Ouattara launched a heavy attack on Wednesday on the bunker where Laurent Gbagbo was defying efforts to force him to cede power, residents said. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

4545. A U.N. MI-24 helicopter flies in Abidjan April 7, 2011. U.N. peacekeepers have surrounded the last defenders of Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo, France said on Thursday, after a week of heavy fighting to unseat him. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

4646. French soldiers prepare for a patrol in Abidjan April 8,2011. Days of clashes between forces loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara and incumbent Laurent Gbagbo, who refuses to cede power, have turned what was once known as the Paris of Africa into a ghost city. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

4747. Injured soldiers loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara ride on a vehicle on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 8, 2011. Forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, besieged in his Abidjan residence, have retaken ground and are edging closer to where rival presidential claimant Ouattara is holed up, the United Nations said. Picture taken April 8, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

4848. Soldiers loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara hold positions during fighting on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 8, 2011. Forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, besieged in his Abidjan residence, have retaken ground and are edging closer to where rival presidential claimant Ouattara is holed up, the United Nations said. Picture taken April 8, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

4949. A soldier loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara runs through the rain during fighting on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 8, 2011. Forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, besieged in his Abidjan residence, have retaken ground and are edging closer to where rival presidential claimant Ouattara is holed up, the United Nations said. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

5050. Soldiers loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara drive to the front line during fighting on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 8, 2011. Forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, besieged in his Abidjan residence, have retaken ground and are edging closer to where rival presidential claimant Ouattara is holed up, the United Nations said. Picture taken April 8, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

5151. Soldiers loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara gather before moving to the front line during fighting on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 8, 2011. Forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, besieged in his Abidjan residence, have retaken ground and are edging closer to where rival presidential claimant Ouattara is holed up, the United Nations said. Picture taken April 8, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

5252. Soldiers loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara listen as officer Zacharia Kone (R) instructs them to respect the safety of cilivians, on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 8, 2011. Forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, besieged in his Abidjan residence, have retaken ground and are edging closer to where rival presidential claimant Ouattara is holed up, the United Nations said. Picture taken April 8, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun (IVORY COAST - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT MILITARY)

5353. A woman walks past a vehicle with a shattered windscreen during a lull in fighting on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 8, 2011. Forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, besieged in his Abidjan residence, have retaken ground and are edging closer to where rival presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara is holed up, the United Nations said. Picture taken April 8, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

5454. French troops patrol on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 8, 2011. Forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, besieged in his Abidjan residence, have retaken ground and are edging closer to where rival presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara is holed up, the United Nations said. Picture taken April 8, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

5555. French troops patrol on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 8, 2011. Forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, besieged in his Abidjan residence, have retaken ground and are edging closer to where rival presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara is holed up, the United Nations said. Picture taken April 8, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

5656. A soldier loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara smokes during a lull in fighting on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 8, 2011. Forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, besieged in his Abidjan residence, have retaken ground and are edging closer to where rival presidential claimant Ouattara is holed up, the United Nations said. Picture taken April 8, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

5757. A man passes the bodies of men on a roadside after heavy fighting in Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan April 9, 2011. Forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, besieged in Ivory Coast's main city, have retaken ground and are edging closer to where rival presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara is holed up, the United Nations said. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

5858. A passer-by takes a picture of the body of a man on a roadside after heavy fighting in Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan April 9, 2011. Forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, besieged in Ivory Coast's main city, have retaken ground and are edging closer to where rival presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara is holed up, the United Nations said. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

5959. French soldiers patrol at the port in Abidjan April 9, 2011. Residents of Abidjan headed out of Ivory Coast's main city by foot or ramshackle bus on Saturday, seeking safety, medicine or simply something to eat. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

6060. Debris is littered along a street in Abidjan April 9, 2011. Residents of Abidjan headed out of Ivory Coast's main city by foot or ramshackle bus on Saturday, seeking safety, medicine or simply something to eat. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

6161. Prisoners from a militia loyal to Laurent Gbagbo are held in a garage on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 9, 2011. Forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have stepped up a counter-attack on presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara by firing on his hotel headquarters in Abidjan. Picture taken April 9, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

6262. Prisoners from a militia loyal to Laurent Gbagbo are held in a garage on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 9, 2011. Forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have stepped up a counter-attack on presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara by firing on his hotel headquarters in Abidjan. Picture taken April 9, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

6363. Soldiers loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara guard prisoners from a militia loyal to Laurent Gbagbo on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 9, 2011. Forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have stepped up a counter-attack on presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara by firing on his hotel headquarters in Abidjan. Picture taken April 9, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

6464. Soldiers loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara guard a young prisoner from a militia loyal to Laurent Gbagbo on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 9, 2011. Forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have stepped up a counter-attack on presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara by firing on his hotel headquarters in Abidjan. Picture taken April 9, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

6565. Soldiers loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara guard a young prisoner from a militia loyal to Laurent Gbagbo on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 9, 2011. Forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have stepped up a counter-attack on presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara by firing on his hotel headquarters in Abidjan. Picture taken April 9, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

6666. A woman sells food and drinks to soldiers loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 9, 2011. Forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have stepped up a counter-attack on presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara by firing on his hotel headquarters in Abidjan. Picture taken April 9, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

6767. Soldiers loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara guard prisoners from a militia loyal to Laurent Gbagbo on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 9, 2011. Forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have stepped up a counter-attack on presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara by firing on his hotel headquarters in Abidjan. Picture taken April 9, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

6868. Soldiers loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara prepare ammunition on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 9, 2011. Forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have stepped up a counter-attack on presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara by firing on his hotel headquarters in Abidjan. Picture taken April 9, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

6969. A UN vehicle patrols on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 9, 2011. Forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have stepped up a counter-attack on presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara by firing on his hotel headquarters in Abidjan. Picture taken April 9, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

7070. A machine gun and ammunition belonging to soldiers loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara sits on the road on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 9, 2011. Forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have stepped up a counter-attack on presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara by firing on his hotel headquarters in Abidjan. Picture taken April 9, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

7171. A soldier loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara wears a mask on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 9, 2011. Forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have stepped up a counter-attack on presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara by firing on his hotel headquarters in Abidjan. Picture taken April 9, 2011. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

7272. Soldiers loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara destroy a monument they believed held an evil spell cast by supporters of Laurent Gbagbo on the northern outskirts of the main city Abidjan, April 10, 2011. Forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have stepped up a counter-attack on presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara by firing on his hotel headquarters in Abidjan. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

7373. A soldier loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara holds a position as fighting resumes on the northern outskirts of Abidjan April 10, 2011. Forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have stepped up a counter-attack on presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara by firing on his hotel headquarters in Abidjan. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

7474. A soldier loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara smokes at a position as fighting resumes on the northern outskirts of the main city Abidjan, April 10, 2011. Forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have stepped up a counter-attack on presidential claimant Ouattara by firing on his hotel headquarters in Abidjan. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

7575. Soldiers loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara ride a vehicle toward the frontline from the northern outskirts of the main city Abidjan April 10, 2011. Forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have stepped up a counter-attack on presidential claimant Ouattara by firing on his hotel headquarters in Abidjan. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

7676. A BBC television crew reports from the front line on the northern outskirts of Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan April 8, 2011. Forces loyal to Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have stepped up a counter-attack on presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara by firing on his hotel headquarters in Abidjan. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

7777. Residents of Palmeraie queue in front of a seller of doughnuts in Abidjan, April 10, 2011, during clashes between forces loyal to presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara and incumbent Laurent Gbagbo. Widespread cuts in water supply come in Abidjan as medicines are running out, while violent militias are dissuading many from venturing out into the streets to seek food already retailing at multiples of its peace-time price. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

7878. A girl draws water in Abidjan, April 10, 2011, during clashes between forces loyal to presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara and incumbent Laurent Gbagbo. Widespread cuts in water supply in Abidjan come as medicines are running out, while violent militias are dissuading many from venturing out into the streets to seek food already retailing at multiples of its peace-time price. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

7979. Two vegetable sellers walk down a street in Riviera in Abidjan, April 10, 2011, during clashes between forces loyal to presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara and incumbent Laurent Gbagbo. Widespread cuts in water supply in Abidjan come as medicines are running out, while violent militias are dissuading many from venturing out into the streets to seek food already retailing at multiples of its peace-time price. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

8080. France's Licorne (Unicorn) forces prepare for a military operation, in southern Ivory Coast April 11, 2011. U.N. and French helicopters attacked forces loyal to Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo, damaging the presidential residence in Abidjan and destroying heavy weapons after U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon ordered them silenced. Gbagbo refused to step down after his rival Alassane Ouattara won last November's presidential election, according to results certified by the United Nations, reigniting a civil war that has claimed more than a thousand lives and uprooted a million people. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

8181. People walk past a plume of smoke from fighting in Abidjan, April 11, 2011. Ivory Coast's incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo has been arrested, a spokeswoman for forces loyal to his rival presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara said on Monday. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

8282. A man raises his hands in surrender to forces loyal to presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara on the northern outskirts of the main city Abidjan, April 11, 2011. Ivory Coast's incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo has been arrested, a spokeswoman for forces loyal to his rival presidential claimant Ouattara said on Monday. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

8383. A man looks at a dead fighter from a militia loyal to Laurent Gbagbo on the northern outskirts of the main city Abidjan, April 11,2011. Ivory Coast's incumbent leader Gbagbo has been arrested, a spokeswoman for forces loyal to his rival presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara said on Monday. REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun

8484. Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo (L) and his wife Simone sit in a room at Hotel Golf in Abidjan, after they were arrested, April 11, 2011. Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo was arrested by opposition forces on Monday after French troops closed in on the compound where the self-proclaimed president had been holed up in a bunker for the past week. Gbagbo refused to step down when Alassane Ouattara won November's presidential election, according to results certified by the United Nations, reigniting violence that has claimed more than a thousand lives and uprooted a million people. The hotel is where his rival Ouattara has his headquarters. REUTERS/Stringer