Ivorians flee Abidjan amid insecurity after Gbagbo capture

A constant stream of people continued to leave Abidjan on Tuesday as the citys streets remained highly dangerous despite the arrest of ex-president Laurent Gbagbo. Gbagbos ousting brought the prospect of peace one step closer for Ivory Coast but the streets of its main city, Abidjan, were likely to be highly unsafe for at least several days.Even in staunch anti-Gbagbo bastions, celebrations at his arrest by troops loyal to his rival Alassane Ouattara were muted, partly by weariness over the four-month row that has followed Novembers presidential election, but also by raw fear.For weeks, Gbagbo allies have been arming youth gangs with Kalashnikov rifles, urging them to defend the country. After terrorising whole neighbourhoods, those youths are now on the losing side -- leaderless, angry and just as dangerous. The fall of Gbagbo, who refused to give up power despite losing the election according to UN-certified results, followed weeks of armed conflict on the streets of Abidjan.Those still in the city emerged timidly out of their homes after being holed up for days. But most of them are at their wits end. Ouattara used his first speech after Gbagbos arrest to urge Ivorians to refrain from vengeance attacks and pledged to bring to justice those on both sides responsible for a civilian death toll which has surpassed 1,500. Some people were hopeful.The heads of the national police and gendarmerie promised in taped messages to guarantee security and urged Ivorians to go back to work and to live life as normal.