Gbagbo was ousted from power on April 11 by forces loyal to his successor Alassane Ouattara, backed by French and U.N. troops deployed to help end a four-month power struggle that killed thousands.
His supporters have continued to battle government forces in pro-Gbagbo areas of the main city Abidjan and residents in the Yopougon district reported heavy weapons fire on Monday after the security forces deployed to the western neighbourhood.
Ouattara has promised to launch a South African-style truth and reconciliation process but was urged by a delegation of senior international officials on Monday to ensure it was impartial and balanced.
“I insist that there be an economic and security revival, and after that we can talk about politics,” Gbagbo told a news conference in a presidential residence in the northern city of Korhogo where he is under house arrest.
The bloody political crisis in the world’s top cocoa grower paralysed the economy and froze exports from late-January, driving cocoa futures prices to record highs. Exporters expect shipments to resume within days.
South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu, part of a delegation meeting Gbagbo that also included former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and former Irish President Mary Robinson, said he was heartened by the comments.
“We are very, very pleased that the former president wants to see his country return to normality,” said Tutu, a member of The Elders group brought together by former South African leader Nelson Mandela in 2007 to work on peace and human rights issues.
Gbagbo, who refused to quit for months after a November 28 election, appeared relaxed, wearing a light blue shirt and dark pants. Security around the compound was light.
That contrasted to his dishevelled appearance when forces loyal to Ouattara captured him, his wife Simone and close allies at his Abidjan residence after weeks of fighting that turned the former “Paris of West Africa” into a war zone.
Pro-Gbagbo militia, many of whom were armed in the last days of the showdown, mostly retreated to Yopougon after Gbagbo’s capture. Some have since disarmed while others have sought to fight on despite calls for reconciliation from all sides.
“The (army) has gone into Yopougon. We can hear the sound of heavy weapons. There is also smoke rising from some areas,” said Stella Gogo, a resident.
The military said it would not immediately comment.
NEED FOR CONSULTATION
Ouattara has since launched a criminal probe against Gbagbo, Simone and 100 other close associates over alleged human rights abuses, notably the lethal attacks by his security forces on opposition protesters after the election.
Ouattara has said he will form a unity government with members of Gbagbo’s party by the end of May, with the aim of restoring full security to the country by June.
He has already named former prime minister Charles Konan Banny to lead the truth and reconciliation commission, but Tutu — who in the 1990s chaired South Africa’s post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission — warned against moving too fast.
“A successful truth and reconciliation process requires wide consultation and ideally the commission plan should be approved by parliament. It is positive that the president has announced plans for a commission, but we urge him not to rush,” he said.
Forces loyal to Ouattara killed hundreds of civilians, raped over 20 supporters of Gbagbo, and burned at least 10 villages in the west of Ivory Coast as they advanced on Abidjan last month, Human Rights Watch said in an April 9 report.
Ouattara’s envoy to the United Nations has rejected the allegations. Ouattara has said justice must apply across the board for those guilty of atrocities.