Gbagbo loses cocoa port

Forces opposed to Laurent Gbagbo, the man who lost an election in Ivory Coast but has refused to cede power, are meeting little resistance as they advance across the country seizing the cocoa exporting port of San Pedro a day after taking control of the official capital Yamoussoukro.

The only domino left to fall is the country’s commercial capital, main city and administrative centre Abidjan. It now seems likely that soldiers supporting the internationally recognised winner of November’s poll, Alassane Ouattara, will reach the city very soon.

How Gbagbo’s forces in his Abidjan stronghold react will determine whether the endgame is reached peacefully or bloodily, but either way it seems near.

Roughly half of Ivory Coast’s annual crop of 300,000 tons of cocoa is exported from San Pedro meaning that Gbagbo’s access to funds will be severely hampered by the loss of the strategic port. Pro-Ouattara have in recent days taken control of much of the country, including most cocoa-producing regions.

Compounding his financial difficulties the United Nations Security Council has imposed a travel ban and frozen the assets of Gbagbo, his wife and three close associates. Gbagbo already faces economic sanctions imposed by the United States and European Union.