Côte d’Ivoire’s army chief of staff, General Philippe Mangou, is still holed up at the residence of the South African ambassador in Abidjan, a foreign affairs spokesperson said on Friday.
“General Mangou is still at the ambassador’s residence. There is very little I can tell now, there is nothing new,” said Clayson Monyela.
Mangou, a key ally of strongman president Laurent Gbagbo, on Wednesday fled with his wife and five children to the home of Pretoria’s envoy, Zodwa Lallie, as forces aligned with the UN-recognised leader, Alassane Ouattara, moved into the main city of Abidjan.
“I can’t say how long he will remain there,” said Monyela.
Early on Friday, gunfire erupted around the home of under-siege Gbagbo and the presidential palace, while forces loyal to Ouattara seized control of the country’s RTI state television.
Mangou is seen as a moderate in Côte d’Ivoire’s current crisis, which erupted when Gbagbo refused to cede defeat to Ouattara following November elections. — AFP