Cote D’Ivoire Gbagbo denies accepting departure

Cote D'Ivoire's Lauren Gbagbo has denied a UN report that he has surrendered and now wants protection form the UN.

Gbagbo denied the report in an interview with French televion on Tuesday.

A United Nation internal document report had earlier said that Gbagbo has surrendered and was seeking protection.

Conflicting reoports

"President Gbagbo has also surrendered and has asked UNOCI's protection," the document to UN staff said.

Gbagbo was negotiating his departure following a fierce assault by forces loyal to his presidential rival backed by U.N. and French helicopter air strikes.

A UN official also said that  Gbagbo "has not surrendered but has expressed the willingness to do so".

He said negotiations with Gbagbo's people in Abidjan are continuing.

There were conflicting reports about Gbagbo's moves.

Gbagbo insisted in the television interview that he won the presidential election and was not ready to negotiate his departure.

Speaking by phone with LCI television, Gbagbo said that Alassane Outtara, widely recognised as the winner of last year's presidential vote, "did not win the elections."

Departure talks

French officials say negotiations are under way for Gbagbo to leave power.

Gbagbo began negotiating following a fierce assault on Abidjan by forces loyal to his presidential rival, Alassane Ouattara, backed by UN and French helicopter air strikes.

A government spokesman for Gbagbo, Ahoua Don Mello, said that they were also negotiating judicial and security conditions for Gbagbo's camp and his relatives," adding that they are talking to the French government which is relaying the talks to the Ouattara camp.

Meanwhile, YJ Choi, the special representative of the United Nations secretary-general for Cote d'Ivoire told newsmen that the war is over.

"All the generals who are fighting for Gbagbo have deserted him, it is over. There is no army, there is no flighting," he said.

Soldiers loyal to Gbagbo have asked for a ceasefire in the face of the offensive launched by Ouattara's forces last week.

General Philippe Mangou told AFP news agency on Tuesday that his troops had stopped fighting and requested a ceasefire after UN and French troops backed Ouattara's forces.

The ambassador to France appointed by Ouattara, Ally Coulibaly, told newsmen that he understood Gbagbo was negotiating his surrender, but admitted Abidjan was a "rumour mill".

"What I have learned is that since yesterday he [Gbagbo] has been seeking to negotiate. It is not too late," said the diplomat, a close advisor to Ouattara.

Coulibaly said he did not know through what channels Gbagbo was negotiating or whether a mediator was involved.

Limited options

Analysts said that Gbagbo's options are limited, as the only option he could have was to accept some kind of exit package, maybe going to exile.

Following four months of attempts to negotiate Gbagbo's departure, the UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution giving the 12,000-strong peacekeeping operation the right "to use all necessary means to carry out its mandate to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence ... including to prevent the use of heavy weapons against the civilian population."

The US president, Barack Obama, has renewed his call for Gbagbo to immediately leave power to help end violence.

In his words, "to end this violence and prevent more bloodshed, former president Gbagbo must stand down immediately, and direct those who are fighting on his behalf to lay down their arms."

Al jazeera/Williams