Poll loser Gbagbo accuses world of plotting coup

IVORY COAST'S incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo, who has refused to cede power after losing the country's elections in November, has accused world leaders of launching a coup to oust him.

The claim came as a spokesman for Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara, who won last year's democratically elected vote, said that military force must soon be used to oust Laurent Gbagbo or he would become entrenched in power.

Gbagbo gave an address this weekend on state television in which he accused the international community of mounting a coup d'etat to oust him and said Ivorians were being subjected to international hostility.

"No-one has the right to call on foreign armies to invade his country," Gbagbo said. "Our greatest duty to our country is to defend it from foreign attack."

Human rights groups accuse incumbent Gbagbo's security forces of abducting and killing political opponents, though Gbagbo allies deny the allegations and say some of the victims were security forces killed by protesters. The UN has confirmed at least 173 deaths.

Meanwhile three presidents from the Economic Community Of West African States (Ecowas) are planning a second round of talks this week with Gbagbo, who has ruled the country for ten years, telling him he should cede power to Ouattara or will face "legitimate force".

"There is only one solution. It is force," Ouattara's government spokesman, Meite Sindou said from Abidjan's Golf Hotel, which Ouattara has turned into his base, protected by some 600 UN peacekeeping troops.

"(Monday] is the final round of talks. After that, the Ecowas forces need to come. Gbagbo thinks that after two or three months he'll be able to survive and stay in power and he has a point. It will become more difficult (to remove him]," he said.

Sindou said an intervention force of 2-3,000 troops would be enough to oust Gbagbo.

Gbagbo has shown no sign of giving in to growing international pressure to step down since Ivory Coast's top court, run by one of his allies, overturned an election result that gave Ouattara victory by eight percentage points.

More than 170 people have been killed since the start of the standoff, which has rekindled tension in the world's top cocoa producer and even threatens to restart a 2002-3 civil war.

The United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Gbagbo and his inner circle, while the World Bank and the West African central bank have cut off his financing in an effort to weaken his grip on power.

Ecowas defence chiefs met last week in Nigeria to work on a possible intervention plan.

Fearing a march by Gbagbo supporters, UN riot police armed with shields and teargas conducted drills yesterday along the road leading to the lagoon-side Golf Hotel, where UN troops stand guard at sandbagged machinegun positions. The roads have been blockaded by the Ivorian military since a shootout between pro-Gbagbo and pro-Ouattara forces on 16 December.