Abidjan - Cote d'Ivoire's former president Laurent Gbagbo has been put under house arrest, the government of President Alassane Ouattara announced on Tuesday.
Gbagbo, who refused to relinquish power to Ouattara, the internationally recognised winner of the November presidential run-off, was detained on Monday at his residence in the economic capital of Abidjan after a long political deadlock and armed conflict between the two presidency claimants.
The legitimacy of Ouattara received a big boost on Tuesday, as Gbagbo's army chiefs pledged allegiance to him and US President Barack Obama conveyed his support for him in a telephone call.
The new president pledged on Monday night that the former president would be treated fairly and in accordance with the law.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has stressed that all perpetrators of violence on both sides of the Ivorian conflict should undergo open and transparent investigations that lead to a fair trial and accountability. - BuaNews-Xinhua
