It was a familiar story, an African strongman General Robert Guei, who, like many soldiers on this continent, once he had tasted power wanted to cling to it.

But the people of Ivory Coast had other ideas and, voting with their feet, refused to stand by while the military robbed another man of his presidential election victory -- albeit a poll boycotted by several political parties.

The hero of the moment, Laurent Gbagbo, was the man who called on his supporters to descend onto the streets in numbers. They took him at his word and people power drove the general from power.

The security forces at first fired into the air, then into the street crowds. But they stopped, later joining the very civilians they had opposed and backing Gbagbo.

Within one short week, Ivorians witnessed an election, a popular uprising and two presidents being sworn in, first General Guei, then a triumphant Laurent Gbagbo.

Guei's was a furtive and fast investiture, a presidency which lasted a bare twenty-four hours. Gbagbo's was a ceremony witnessed by cameras, diplomats, religious, civilian and military leaders -- and chiefs from Ivory Coast, resplendent in their boldly embroidered 'kita'cloth and crowns.