Cut Off, Ivory Coast Chief Is Scraping for Cash: How a Strongman Keeps His Grip on Ivory Coast

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — The global squeeze on the finances of Laurent Gbagbo, the strongman who refuses to cede power after losing a presidential election here, has included sanctions, asset freezes and financial interdictions, all in the hope of dislodging him without military force. ... But Mr. Gbagbo, a political survivor accustomed to staying in office well beyond his legal term, has a financial plan of his own: pushing the banks and companies around him to continue supplying him with cash, diplomats and local businessmen say. {Picture showing a soldier passing by an image of Mr. Gbagdo on a banner at a rally in Abidjan on Saturday.}

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/18/world/af...