Defence lawyers for former Ivorian leader Laurent Gbagbo directly accused former colonial ruler France of working to shore up his bitter rival Alassane Ouattara during a deadly political standoff in 2010-2011.

"France did not want a negotiated peace," lawyer Emmanuel Altit told the International Criminal Court, charging Paris with delivering arms and military know-how to Ouattara's forces during a five-month orgy of violence in the west African nation.