Washington, DC — Ivorian leader Laurent Gbagbo is "an ongoing threat" to peace and economic progress in his country and must step aside, says Johnnie Carson, the top United States official dealing with Africa.

In an exclusive interview with AllAfrica, Carson – the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa – said that sanctions against Gbagbo "are starting to bite" and his administration "is running out of money and financial resources, [and] diesel and oil supplies are starting to run low."

In addition, many diplomats associated with Gbagbo have been replaced by officials loyal to Alassane Ouattara, the Ivorian leader who has been recognized by the international community as the legitimate president of Cote d'Ivoire.

"We hope that Gbagbo and the people around him will recognize that the interests of the Ivory Coast, the interests of the people of Cote d'Ivoire are more important than short-term political ambitions," Carson told AllAfrica.

"We believe strongly that Laurent Gbagbo must step aside. His continued presence in power in Abidjan is an ongoing threat to peace, security and the return to economic progress that the people of the Ivory Coast so desperately need."

Carson also appealed to those countries who "support the idea that President Gbagbo won" recent elections "to recognize that Alassane Ouattara won and that any financial or military support to Gbagbo only contributes to the prolongation of the crisis, contributes to an upswing in the violence and a downward economic spiral of this once-promising state."