BBC Monitoring quotes on Cote d'Ivoire from the African press 13 April.

The following is a selection of quotes on the capture of former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo on 11 April from editorials and other material published in the 13 April editions of the African press. As indicated, some material from 12 April is also included. Unless otherwise stated, the newspapers are published in English.

Kenya's Standard [independent]: "The storming of Cote d'Ivoire strongman Laurent Gbagbo's bunker and his subsequent arrest is a major achievement for advancing the cause of free and fair elections in Africa... It was an undignified ending to the tenure of a man in whom many Ivorians once placed their hopes. And it was necessary after a series of reversals in Africa's march towards open democracy in recent years with the military juntas replacing civilian governments in several countries and Kenya's post-election chaos that followed a dispute over who won the presidential ballot." (Editorial - "After Gbagbo, Cote d'Ivoire needs healing")

2. "Without the aid of French troops, it is unlikely that [internationally-recognized Ivorian President Alassane] Ouattara would have won the battle for the country so easily. It is therefore important for France to impress upon the new Ivorian leader that his primary focus is to unite the country. The fact that he avoided killing Gbagbo, which would have made him a martyr for his supporters, was a good thing, but the former president should not be tried in Cote d'Ivoire for any alleged crimes, as this would divide the country even more. Seeing the defeated strongman handled humanely is probably the best way to disarm any lingering opposition to Ouattara's takeover of power, and would give the new president a credible platform on which to start rebuilding his broken nation." (From above editorial)

Kenya's Daily Nation [top selling daily - independent]: "There has been a palpable sigh of relief in Africa, and across the world, with the capture of Mr Laurent Gbagbo... The assumption now is that the capture of Mr …