By Tiemoko Diallo
BAMAKO (Reuters) - West African presidents tightened the screws on Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo on Saturday, ridding him of an ally at the top of the regional central bank who had safeguarded his access to funds.
World powers and African states have been pressuring Gbagbo to cede power after a November presidential election that U.N.-certified results showed he lost to rival Alassane Ouattara, with the regional bank last month announcing it would no longer accept Gbagbo's signature.
But bank Governor Philippe Henri Dacoury-Tabley, an Ivorian believed to be a close ally of Gbagbo's, failed to impose the decision by the bank's ministers and will be replaced, according to a declaration of heads of state from West Africa's single-currency zone.
"The conference is concerned about the impact of the non-application of (the ministers') decision on the stability of the economic, financial and monetary system of the union," according to the declaration, released after an emergency heads of state summit in Mali's capital.
"The conference has taken note of the resignation of Mr. Philippe Henri Dacoury-Tabley from his post as Governor of the Central Bank of West African States," it continued, adding the current vice-governor would take over until a permanent replacement is found.
The declaration said Gbagbo's rival Ouattara, who has formed a parallel government in a hotel in Ivory Coast's main city, had been invited to propose a permanent replacement for the central bank governor role.
Patrick Achi, spokesman for the Ouattara-appointed government, called the move an important step that should stop the flow of money from the state account.
"We are satisfied. This is what we have been calling for," he told Reuters by telephone after the decision.
"This will reduce the money leaving the account. We are heading towards the control of the accounts but it will happen in stages," he said, adding that the next step would have to be the replacement of the director of the bank in Ivory Coast, who he said was also pro-Gbagbo.
Gbagbo's camp did not immediately react to the move but it has brushed off international efforts to squeeze it of funding and so far appears to be retaining control of the bulk of revenues from cocoa and oil production.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Gbagbo's government announced on state television on Saturday that France's ambassador in the country was no longer accredited in reciprocity for French recognition of a Ouattara-nominated diplomat in Paris.
The French government rejected the statement as "null and void, without any legal impact"
PRESSURE MOUNTS
The United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Gbagbo and his inner circle, while West African regional bloc ECOWAS and the African Union have said a military intervention is possible if other measures fail.
Gbagbo, who has ruled the former "pearl of West Africa" since 2000, has defied calls to quit after the November 28 election, prolonging a stand-off that has killed 260 people and risks throwing the top cocoa grower back into civil war.
Cocoa futures hit eight-and-a-half month highs on concerns of possible supply disruptions in Ivory Coast, which supplies around a third of the world's market.
The country also missed the $29 million payment on the $2.3 billion bond due 2032 at the end of December, but has a grace period until the end of this month before the country is declared in default.
Despite the threat of force by African states, there is little appetite among neighbours for armed intervention that could cause more bloodshed and nations such as Ghana say they will not offer troops.
Leaders of the 53-state African Union will discuss next steps at a summit at the end of the month, and signs are emerging of cracks in an official AU line insisting that Gbagbo immediately make way for Ouattara to take power.
Sparking new tension with the United Nations, which has defied a Gbagbo order for its 10,000 peacekeepers to leave the country, the Ivorian army said its forces were under instructions to stop and search vehicles with U.N. markings.
(Additional reporting by David Lewis; writing by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Matthew Jones)
