- Not long for Laurent Gbagbo? Reports coming out of the Ivory Coast are somewhat convoluted at this moment — the machinations of these scenarios can involve a lot of back and forth between the sides involved, and as such it’s understandable that things can become murky. Reuters had reported that strongman Laurent Gbagbo signed a U.N. document ceding power and surrendering, but nearly an hour later posted a report from a U.N. official claiming his surrender is not official, and that he’s negotiating for protection. Perhaps the biggest takeaway, though, is what’s most important thing for the Ivory Coast; that there’s a visible endgame, and Laurent Gbagbo’s desperate grip on power could soon vanish. source