Ivory Coast Battle In "Final Hours"

BBC News reports:

Troops supporting the UN-recognised president of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, appear poised for a final push to oust his rival, Laurent Gbagbo, who refuses to give up the presidency.

In main city, Abidjan, pro-Ouattara forces have launched an assault on the fortified presidential residence.

There has also been fighting around the state TV building, which went off air.

Mr Ouattara's supporters, who already controlled most of the country, launched a final offensive on Monday.

The BBC's John James in the central city of Bouake says this looks like the final hours for Laurent Gbagbo's government.

An Abidjan resident said fighting was raging in the northern district of Cocody, where the presidential residence is located.

"I can still hear heavy gunfire and loud thud of mortar fire. And it is coming from the direction of Cocody," he told the BBC early on Friday.

A spokesman for Mr Ouattara's government, Patrick Achi, said the former president had so far shown no signs of giving up.

Mr Achi said Ouattara loyalists had taken control of RTI state television. This could not be confirmed, but the channel went off-air late on Thursday.

A spokesman for Mr Gbagbo said his forces were still fighting at the TV station.

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