Obama urges Gbagbo to quit immediately

US President Barack Obama yesterday urged Ivory Coast strongman Laurent Gbagbo to step down immediately and voiced strong support for French and UN military efforts faced with the violence.
"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," Obama said in a statement.
"Every day that the fighting persists will bring more suffering, and further delay the future of peace and prosperity that the people of Cote d'Ivoire deserve," he said, using the nation's French name.
French and UN helicopters fired at the presidential palace, presidential residence and two military barracks held by the 65-year-old Gbagbo, targeting heavy weapons being used against civilians.
"I strongly support the role that United Nations peacekeepers are playing as they enforce their mandate to protect civilians, and I welcome the efforts of French forces who are supporting that mission," Obama said.
Meanwhile, Russia yesterday questioned the use of force by the UN peacekeepers in the West African nation of Ivory Coast where a conflict over a disputed election has led to devastating fighting.
"We are now looking into the legal side of the issue because peacekeepers had a mandate which requires them to be neutral and impartial," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters.
He added that Moscow had requested a special briefing at the UN Security Council to address the situation but was not satisfied with its results.
"So far we have not received particularly precise answers to our questions. But we will be looking into this situation," he said in televised remarks.
On Monday, UN and French helicopters fired on the Ivory Coast presidential palace and bases of strongman Laurent Gbagbo in the main city Abidjan after he lost November elections but refused to step down.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said the aim was to stop heavy weapons being used against civilians and not a declaration of war against Gbagbo.
Russia is "extremely concerned" by the violence in Ivory Coast, Lavrov said. "The situation there is not improving but abruptly deteriorating," he said.
"We have demanded that those who apply force in the regions where peaceful civilians are located not allow any action which may lead to new victims."