Some dramatic footage has just emerged from the nabbing of Ivory Coast strongman Laurent Gbagbo on Monday.
From a propaganda point of view, this video is important. There were rumors on Monday that it was French special forces that arrested Gbagbo, not Ivorians. This would have confirmed Gbagbo’s claims that the Ouatarra camp are the puppets of neo-coloniolists and the like. Alas, this video would seem to confirm what was widely reported after later in the day on Monday: that after French and UN helicopters softened the target a bit, Ivorian soldiers moved in to make the arrest.
Incidentally, once Gbagbo was arrested he was transferred to the Golf Hotel which is a posh hotel that has served as Outtara’s base and was duly guarded by UN peacekeepers. At the hotel, the UN reports that Gbagbo requested that UN Peacekeepers personally guarantee the safety of himself and his wife. The irony here is that Gbagbo’s forces were targeting UN peacekeepers in sniper fire and mortar assaults only days before.
Yesterday, Gbagbo was transferred out of the hotel to a “secure villa” outside of Abidjan. What is next for Gbagbo is still unclear at this point.