French Special Forces Capture and Hand Over Gbagbo To Ivory Coast Opposition

The capital of Ivory Coast is rife with ruined buildings, damaged vehicles, and the remains of the dead from heavy fighting between Laurent Gbagbo's loyalists and Alassane Dramane Ouattara's opposition groups.

The UN and French forces have not been playing peacekeepers so much as pushing to rid the African nation of Gbagbo, who has refused to step down after losing elections in November to Ouattara.



French forces have apparently captured Gbagbo, after assaulting his last bastion with tanks and special forces.

French special forces have detained Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo and handed him to leaders of the rebel opposition, after French tanks forced their way into his residence, a Gbagbo adviser in France said.

"Gbagbo has been arrested by French special forces in his residence and has been handed over to the rebel leaders," Toussaint Alain told Reuters.

The opposition, UN and French forces have worn away Gbagbo's loyalists until there were fewer than 1,000 left. Waning support helped undermine Gbagbo's regime, but that didn't stop him from causing incalculable damage to the country and its economy.

The next step will be to see how Ouattara handles Gbagbo, and how the new government takes shape.

UPDATE:
Video has emerged from his arrest/handover to Ivory Coast:



Looks like someone whose former lifestyle is now a dim memory and whose future is anything but sunny. He knows that he's in for a rough time and that by staying on in power well beyond his electoral mandate, he's won few friends.