Ouattara: AU says I won election

Alassane Dramane Ouattara. Photo / AP

Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara said yesterday that a panel set up by the African Union to find a solution to the crisis in the West African nation has confirmed he won the disputed election.

"The panel confirmed that I am the president-elect of the Ivorian people. It's the final decision and there's no way to go back on that," Ouattara told journalists in the Ethiopian capital where the panel was meeting.

He said the panel also recommended the formation of a government of national unity involving all political parties and civil society, while an honorable exit was found for incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo, who has refused to relinquish power.