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Dispute continues in Ivory Coast
Source: Agencies |
December 30, 2010, Thursday
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WEST African leaders said yesterday they will return to Ivory Coast to resume negotiations with Laurent Gbagbo after a first visit failed to persuade him to hand power to the internationally recognized winner of last month's election.
The 15-nation regional bloc ECOWAS had threatened military intervention if Gbagbo did not step aside and allow Alassane Ouattara to take over the presidency.
A delegation of presidents coming from Sierra Leone, Benin and Cape Verde on Tuesday delivered in person what they called an ultimatum to leave - Gbagbo rebuffed their efforts. Instead of preparing a military strike, ECOWAS gave Gbagbo, who has been president five years over his mandate due to chaos in the country, more time.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, whose country is the biggest player in ECOWAS, said the -delegation would return to Abidjan next Monday.
"Whenever there is a dispute, it is dialogue that will solve issues," Jonathan said in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, where ECOWAS is based. "The dialogue is on. They are encouraging us to go back."
The United Nations declared Gbagbo the loser of the presidential runoff vote held on November 28. The UN, which was tasked with certifying the results of the election, and other world powers have insisted Gbagbo hand over power to Ouattara.
Gbagbo points to the Ivory Coast constitutional council, which said he was the winner. The council, led by a Gbagbo ally, made that announcement after throwing out half a million ballots from Ouattara strongholds, saying intimidation directed at Gbagbo supporters meant results from those areas were invalid.
The 15-nation regional bloc ECOWAS had threatened military intervention if Gbagbo did not step aside and allow Alassane Ouattara to take over the presidency.
A delegation of presidents coming from Sierra Leone, Benin and Cape Verde on Tuesday delivered in person what they called an ultimatum to leave - Gbagbo rebuffed their efforts. Instead of preparing a military strike, ECOWAS gave Gbagbo, who has been president five years over his mandate due to chaos in the country, more time.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, whose country is the biggest player in ECOWAS, said the -delegation would return to Abidjan next Monday.
"Whenever there is a dispute, it is dialogue that will solve issues," Jonathan said in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, where ECOWAS is based. "The dialogue is on. They are encouraging us to go back."
The United Nations declared Gbagbo the loser of the presidential runoff vote held on November 28. The UN, which was tasked with certifying the results of the election, and other world powers have insisted Gbagbo hand over power to Ouattara.
Gbagbo points to the Ivory Coast constitutional council, which said he was the winner. The council, led by a Gbagbo ally, made that announcement after throwing out half a million ballots from Ouattara strongholds, saying intimidation directed at Gbagbo supporters meant results from those areas were invalid.
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