The Central Bank of West African states has cut off access to government funds for Ivory Coast’s de facto President Laurent Gbagbo, increasing pressure on the defeated leader to step down. Gbagbo lost a November election to Alassane Ouattara, but has refused to turn over the presidency amid rising concerns that a fragile 2002 peace accord could fail, causing the country to slide back into civil war. At least 173 people have died in election-related violence since the vote.
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