African leaders urge Gbagbo to step down

12-29-2010 08:30 BJT

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Meanwhile, West African leaders have delivered a final ultimatum to Cote d'Ivoire's incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo: step down, or face military force to oust you.

The three Presidents later met with the opposition leader, Alassane Ouattara, and the head of the UN mission in the country. Then they headed to Nigeria to report back to ECOWAS's chairman, Goodluck Jonathan.

The Western African delegation is led by presidents from Sierra Leone, Cape Verde and Benin. They held a three-hour meeting with Gbagbo in Abidjan on Tuesday.

Cote D'Ivoire's incumbent leader has been in power for a decade, but has so far shown no interest in stepping aside despite international calls for him to go.

The 15-nation regional bloc ECOWAS has threatened to use "legitimate

force" if Gbagbo does not relinquish power. Nigeria has the strongest army in the region and is expected to play a major role if any operation is launched to oust him.

Opposition leader Alassane Ouattara's camp has been confident in recent days that such help is coming.

Meanwhile, both the African Union and ECOWAS have suspended Abidjan's membership, and the World Bank has halted loans. Gbagbo and his family also face increasing travel bans.

Some analysts feel an ECOWAS mission in Cote d'Ivoire would entail a

full-scale invasion, causing numerous civilian casualties.

Other Africans living in the country have expressed their own concerns.

Liberian Refugee, said, "We are asking for security. If we can, if there is a possibility for us to leave this place and be secure somewhere else, we will be OK. But we are not prepared to go to Liberia now and this is why were are here ."

Cote d'Ivoire has been mired in a political stalemate and deadly violence since its presidential run-off in November. Both Gbagbo and opposition leader Alassane Ouattara, widely seen as having won the contest, have both been sworn in as president.

Weeks of violence have left at least 173 people dead, though the UN says the toll could be much higher.

The French government says its forces will protect French citizens in Cote D'Ivoire, but won't be making any decisions about a possible military intervention.