ABIDJAN, Cote d'Ivoire - Cote d'Ivoire's internationally recognized president, Alassane Ouattara, called for peace after his rival was arrested with the help of French forces, but he faces a huge task reuniting a country shattered by civil war.

Ouattara, who won a November presidential election according to UN-certified results, can finally begin asserting his authority over the West African country after his predecessor Laurent Gbagbo was captured on Monday, ending more than four months of standoff that descended into all-out conflict.

Gbagbo, who had refused to step down after 10 years in power, was arrested and placed under the control of Ouattara's forces after French forces in the former colony closed in on the bunker where he had been holed up for the past week.

That leaves Ouattara as the sole leader in charge of the country, although many analysts say it may not be enough to end the fighting that has bloodied the world's top cocoa grower over the past few weeks.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Tuesday that China hopes the crisis in Cote d'Ivoire ends and social stability is restored, so reconstruction can begin as soon as possible.

China will work with the international community and play a positive role for peace, stability and development in the country.

In the commercial capital Abidjan, where people have been trapped in their homes with little food or water as fighting raged for 10 days, Ouattara faces a more immediate challenge. Dwindling supplies as well as frequent power cuts and a shortage of medicines have fuelled fears of a humanitarian disaster unless authorities can act swiftly.

Reuters-China Daily