No sanctuary for General Guei

Guei: His whereabouts remain unclear

The government of Liberia has turned down a request for political asylum from Ivory Coast's ousted military leader, General Robert Guei.

Guei's problem is that he has no friends, he upset so many people

BBC's Funmi Kuo

A source close to the Liberian presidency said on Wednesday "the government decided to turn down his request for security reasons and in the interest of regional peace."

It was unclear from when the request for asylum was made.

Massive protests forced Guei out of office

General Guei was forced to flee a week ago in the face of massive street protests after he attempted to claim victory in the controversial presidential elections of 22 October.

Some 50 people are estimated to have died in clashes which erupted as General Guei clung to power refusing to admit defeat by his main rival, new President Laurent Gbagbo.

Subsequent bloodshed on ethnic and religious lines between Mr Gbagbo's supporters and those of former prime minister Alassane Ouattara, who comes from the Muslim north and had been barred from standing in the election, killed another nearly 155 people.

Guei's problem

Dictator's havens

2000 Guei ousted, seeking asylum

1992 Somalia's Siad Barre flees to Kenya then Nigeria

1991 Mengistu Haile Mariam flees to Zimbabwe

1990, Chad's Hissene Habre ousted, exiled in Senegal

1979 Idi Amin Dada of Uganda is overthrown, lives in Saudi Arabia

The new head of the army and a former member of the junta, General Mathias Doue, said at the weekend that the general was still in Ivory Coast.

Our correspondent in Abidjan said: "Guei's problem is that he has no friends, he upset so many people."

In September, a senior delegation of African leaders was snubbed by General Guei after visiting him in person to urge fair elections.

The former military ruler had been rumoured to be heading for Benin or Liberia.

Presidency sources in Nigeria said on Friday that ousted General Guei had also requested asylum there and that the request was receiving attention.

Fleeing dictators

General Guei is the latest in a series of African dictators who have been forced out of power through military coups or popular uprisings.

Amin ruled Uganda for eight years

Hissene Habre, the former dictator of Chad has been living in exile in Senegal for the last 10 years since being thrown out by President Idriss Deby.

Somalia's President Mohammed Siad Barre was ousted in 1992 and forced to seek asylum in neighbouring Kenya.

But his presence in the country triggered public outcry forcing him to flee to Nigeria where he lived until his death in January 1995.

Ethiopia's Marxist military leader, Mengistu Haile Mariam was ousted in a military coup in 1991. He is exiled in Zimbabwe.

Uganda's Idi Amin Dada who ruled for nearly eight years was forced out in 1979 and now lives in exile in Saudi Arabia.