Ivory Coast\'s world-leading cocoa exports resume

Ivory Coast, the world\'s leading producer of cocoa, resumed exports on Tuesday after they were frozen for several weeks in the wake of sanctions against former president Laurent Gbagbo. Exports resumed with the departure from the main city Abidjan of a ship that port officials said was loaded with 1,700 tonnes of cocoa beans, an AFP correspondent reported. The ship was headed to the port of San Pedro, 370 kilometres (230 miles) to the west, where it was to pick up another 7,000-8,000 tonnes, port officials said. Alassane Ouattara, who was sworn in as president last week, called in January for an embargo on cocoa exports to put financial pressure on Gbagbo, who was refusing to give up power after losing elections in November. The call was backed by European sanctions that were supported by major traders and halted the country\'s cocoa trade, which represents 35 percent of the world supply. The freeze led the cocoa price to hit the highest level since 1979 on New York markets. Close to 500,000 tonnes of cocoa beans meanwhile collected at the Abidjan and San Pedro ports. Forces for Ouattara arrested Gbagbo on April 11, ending the nearly five-month election standoff during which around 3,000 people were killed and around one million fled their homes. Gbagbo is under house arrest and facing criminal charges.