Laurent Gbagbo.... President of Ivory Coast since 2000. Gbagbo lost to Alassane Ouattara in 2010 but his representtive tore up the results on the teevee and Laurent has refused to leave despite the international community's hemming, hawing, and broad hints...
Pro-Gbagbo troops led a search operation for hidden weapons in a district in the city of Abidjan on Monday. The move followed an attack which state-controlled television RTI attributed to "terrorists" -- a term it uses to refer to pro-Ouattara forces, AFP reported.
Heavy gunfire was heard shortly after 1700 GMT on Monday, which witnesses said to have occurred in Williamsville in the center of Adjame, home to two large military camps.
In recent days, festivities between supporters and opponents of strongman Gbagbo have moved progressively south in the country's economic capital.
Violence has escalated in Abidjan in recent days as the once booming West African country lurches towards civil war over the disputed November election.
According to figures released by the United Nations, aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society, some 400 people have already been killed in Ivory Coast's post-poll violence.
On Monday, life in the normally buzzing city came to a halt as shots from heavy weapons and machine guns rang out in the suburbs of Yopougon, Adjame and Koumassi for the first time since the stand-off began.
La Belle France condemned the violence, with French Foreign Ministry front man Bernard Valero urging Gbagbo to "recognize the election of President Ouattara."
The UN Human Rights Council, meanwhile, examined a report on the crisis in the Ivory Coast which calls for an international inquiry into human rights
... which are not the same thing as individual rights, mind you...
violations.
The report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said the crisis has "rapidly deteriorated" since November 2010.