Awwal 04, 1432 H / April 08, 2011, SPA -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday urged Ivory Coast incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo to leave for the sake of his country. "If he believes he was once the leader of Cote d'Ivoire, he has to be mindful of the well-being, safety, and prosperity of his people," Ban said during a visit to the U.S. Congress. "This is his last opportunity to gracefully exit." Gbagbo is holed up in a bunker below his residence and has refused to leave despite being surrounded by forces loyal to the country's internationally recognized president, Alassane Ouattara. U.N. peacekeepers supported by French troops launched an operation using attack helicopters on Monday to destroy Gbagbo's arms depots.
