Pro-Ouattara forces are patrolling some suburbs of the main city For nearly a week residents of Ivory Coast's main city of Abidjan have been sheltering indoors as forces battle each other in the city.
Troops opposed to incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo have launched a final assault on his presidential residence.Mr Gbagbo insists he won November's run-off vote, but election officials found that his rival Alassane Ouattara was the winner
A French colony since 1893, Ivory Coast became independent in 1960. Rich in cocoa and coffee, the country enjoyed economic and political stability under its first president, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who remained allied to the west while many other African countries flirted with Marxism or experienced violent changes of power. He was always careful to calm tensions between the country's more than 60 ethnic groups. It also has a sharp religious divide, with a Christian south and a Muslim north.
He died in 1993, and his successor, Henri Konan Bédié, was less focused on avoiding tensions. Unlike Houphouët-Boigny, who welcomed in millions of immigrants from neighbouring countries, Bédié stressed the concept of "Ivority". This was mainly to hurt his rival, Alassane Ouattara, whose father was from Burkina Faso.
In 1999, disgruntled soldiers under General Robert Guéï toppled Bédié in a coup. After a year of military rule, Guéï and Laurent Gbabgo, below, contested an election, with Ouattara again excluded from the ballot over nationality claims, much to the anger of his supporters in the north.
With Gbagbo, who draws his main support in the south, leading the poll, Guéï cried fraud and declared himself the victor. He was quickly overthrown and Gbagbo assumed power, but within two years renegade troops led a coup against him. Though it failed, the uprising quickly turned into a major rebellion, backed by northerners. The country split in two. A peace accord was signed in 2007, but elections planned for 2005 were consistently postponed, with most of the blame falling on Gbagbo. When an election runoff finally occurred last November, Gbagbo refused to accept the result, which gave him 46% to Ouattara's 54%. A day later, the constitutional council, run by his allies, overturned the verdict.
He died in 1993, and his successor, Henri Konan Bédié, was less focused on avoiding tensions. Unlike Houphouët-Boigny, who welcomed in millions of immigrants from neighbouring countries, Bédié stressed the concept of "Ivority". This was mainly to hurt his rival, Alassane Ouattara, whose father was from Burkina Faso.
In 1999, disgruntled soldiers under General Robert Guéï toppled Bédié in a coup. After a year of military rule, Guéï and Laurent Gbabgo, below, contested an election, with Ouattara again excluded from the ballot over nationality claims, much to the anger of his supporters in the north.
With Gbagbo, who draws his main support in the south, leading the poll, Guéï cried fraud and declared himself the victor. He was quickly overthrown and Gbagbo assumed power, but within two years renegade troops led a coup against him. Though it failed, the uprising quickly turned into a major rebellion, backed by northerners. The country split in two. A peace accord was signed in 2007, but elections planned for 2005 were consistently postponed, with most of the blame falling on Gbagbo. When an election runoff finally occurred last November, Gbagbo refused to accept the result, which gave him 46% to Ouattara's 54%. A day later, the constitutional council, run by his allies, overturned the verdict.
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