Fear descended on Abidjan Thursday as sporadic bursts of automatic weapon fire pierced the air, helicopters circled, barricades dotted the city and looters rampaged in some areas.
"We are locked in the room, there is heavy shooting and then it stops" an inhabitant of the chic suburb Cocody, home to strongman Laurent Gbagbo, told AFP, her voice choked with anxiety.
As night fell, the city was on tenterhooks, worried that a fierce final battle might take place between Gbagbo's army and forces loyal to internationally recognised president Alassane Ouattara.
Since mid-morning, the streets of the turbulent metropolis were deserted as news spread that Ouattara's forces -- having swept through towns across the country -- were swiftly moving south.
Plateau, the administrative heart of the city and home to the presidential palace, quickly emptied and an eery silence hung over the streets, broken intermittently by explosions and machine gun fire.
A total absence of security forces gave looters a free-for-all in the economic capital, home to some five million people before the post-electoral crisis.
The suburb of Marcory or "Zone 4" known for its normally buzzing nightlife and home to numerous expatriates, was particularly targeted and the French force Licorne deployed some 50 men to deter gangs of thugs.
"We are at home, we heard shooting. We don't know exactly what is happening but it seems that some people looted an ice-cream store, and then there were Licorne helicopters circling the area," said a resident of the suburb.
"We don't know what is going on, we are scared," said another.
In the popular district of Kumasi, a witness saw youths returning to their homes, carrying fans and other items.
In Cocody, young men left a supermarket carrying mattresses, household appliances and food, according to a resident.
One Frenchman, who has lived in Abidjan for many years told AFP: "If order does not return quickly, it's gonna be hell tonight."
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