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Life in Cote
d’Ivoire’s main city Abidjan was slowly returning to a normality of
sorts this Wednesday, despite continued violence in some neighbourhoods
two days after the capture of former leader Laurent Gbagbo.

A Reuters
journalist said some petrol stations had reopened, communal taxis were
running and people cautiously ventured out in the streets after
Gbagbo’s arrest on Monday ended a bloody power struggle with
presidential rival Alassane Ouattara.

Running water and
electricity that was cut off due to 10 days of fierce fighting for
control of the city have been restored to most neighbourhoods,
residents said.

“Life is gradually
returning to normal, shops have reopened as well as pharmacies,” said
Mariam Kone in the southern district of Koumassi.“At night though,
there is still shooting by those who have weapons. They are not happy
at all that Gbagbo’s gone.”

Gbagbo’s capture by
Ouattara’s fighters, aided by French forces in the former colony, drew
a line under a four-month political standoff that descended into
all-out conflict, with thousands killed, more than a million uprooted
and the economy of the once shining star of the West African region in
tatters. The arrest left Ouattara, the internationally recognised
winner of last November’s presidential election, as the sole leader in
the world’s largest cocoa grower, although analysts say it may not be
enough to stop the violence and heal deep wounds.

In a boost to his
legitimacy, Gbagbo’s former army chiefs pledged allegiance to Ouattara
at an official ceremony on Tuesday where words like “forgiveness” and
“reconciliation” were repeated frequently.

Philippe Mangou,
Gbagbo’s former army chief of staff, called on all soldiers to report
to their bases on Wednesday morning and start serving under the
Republican Forces of Ivory Coast — the name of Ouattara’s army.

The EU, France and
the World Bank pledged financial aid to restore stability, rebuild a
shattered economy and repair badly damaged infrastructure. U.S.
President Barack Obama called Ouattara to offer his support.

Gunfire

Some parts of Abidjan however were still unsafe. In the pro-Gbagbo neighbourhood of Yopougon, gunfire was heard on Wednesday.

“There is still a
lot of sub-machine gun fire and we don’t know who is doing the
shooting,” said resident Stella Gogo. “There are a few cars circulating
and people are walking in the streets. Markets are open but foodstuff
is very expensive.”

Another resident,
Justin Behan, said: “The youth militias still have weapons. We hear
shooting every day, so we are too frghtened to go out.”

Abidjan’s port was
still shut down, as were banks and the Western Union money transfer
service, with many residents reporting an acute shortage of cash to buy
food. The United Nations and the European Union urged Ouattara to form
a national unity government to put country back on track and heal
divisions, which have been exacerbated by ethnic and religious tensions.

After his capture,
Gbagbo was taken to Ouattara’s Golf Hotel headquarters in Abidjan but
his whereabouts on Wednesday were unclear. A U.N. spokesman said on
Tuesday that he was still at the hotel, retracting an earlier statement
that he had been moved to a secure location out of Abidjan. Foreign
journalists at the Golf Hotel, however, said Gbagbo was no longer
there, quoting hotel security staff.

Ouattara has called
on Ivoriens to refrain from reprisals and violence, calling for “a new
era of hope”. However, Amnesty International said on Tuesday that
despite Ouattara’s call, people perceived as being Gbagbo supporters
were at risk of violent reprisals.

“Today in Abidjan, armed men, some wearing military uniforms, have
been conducting house-to-house searches in neighbourhoods where real or
perceived supporters of Laurent Gbagbo are living,” the rights
organisation said.