“We heard screams of people inside the building, calling for help. And then we heard several bullets shots,” a neighbour told AFP.

A police source and a local RHDP official confirmed eight deaths and 15 injured.

Result of the second round run-off is yet to be published. The three-day constitutional period for the election commission (CEI) to release the result has expired. The CEI spokesperson Bamba Yacouba was hindered from proclaiming partial results on Tuesday night by a representative of the incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo, who tore two result sheets in front of TV cameras.

Gbagbo’s party say results from some regions of the rebel-held north must be annulled “due to massive fraud”. But according to YJ Choi, special representative of the UN Secretary General in Ivory Coast, the vote was “free, fair and democratic with minor and isolated cases of irregularities.”

At a press conference on Wednesday evening, opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara said “the continuous delay in the release of the result is unacceptable.” He sent words to his rival Gbagbo, urging him to honour a common engagement of accepting the verdict of the vote both men signed days before the run-off.

The constitutional council on Thursday asked the CEI to hand over all the results for treatment. Observers say the decision of the council, which cannot be appealed, will likely favour Gbagbo since the judicial organ is controlled by his men.

Fear and panic

AfricaNews correspondent, Kingsley Kobo in Abidjan reports that many Ivorians are scared of an impending crisis. “The streets are half-deserted. Some few banks, insurance companies and super stores are open however, but many closed by midday due to the dusk-till-dawn curfew and mostly, the fear of danger.
Where the danger will come from, when, from whom and how, nobody knows. But everybody on the street is sensing an impending chaotic situation. Even an explosion of a car tire can set multitudes running. Taxis and personal cars are scanty unlike normal days.”

He said there are reports that there are no more cutlasses in the market and “that the northerners (favourable to Ouattara) have bought all the machetes and cutlasses set for battle against whoever kicks it off.”



Kingsley Kobo adds that: “the northerners and those from the central region (the Baoulés) tribe of former president Bédié) have united politically and this may happen too in case there is any street fighting. Both make more than 50% of the population, as opposed to Gbagbo's Bété tribe (16%), and supported by a two or three minority tribe.

They may not be able to stand the northerners' coalition in terms of battle. So I feel this may even dissuade them from attempting anything.”