Guardian News: UN, US Press Nigeria On Forceful Removal Of Gbagbo In Ivory Coast

[NewsCaster]

PLANS for the use of military force to remove Ivory Coast controversial President, Laurent Gbagbo, now depends on Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan who recently asked the Secretary-General of the United Nations for more time in order for him to send his Special Envoy to the troubled West African nation.

The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, disclosed this at his maiden press conference of the year in New York on Friday after western media reporters pressed him repeatedly on when force would be used to remove Gbagbo.

His words: "Now, it's up to them. I am not sure where they are standing in this case.  President Jonathan, when I have been speaking with him many times, told me he would be dispatching his special envoy to discuss the future course of action."

The centrality of the Nigerian factor in determining the matter of military force against Ivory Coast, according to sources is not only because Nigeria is the current chairman of ECOWAS, but because Nigeria's is being expected to lead such an action like it did in Liberia and Sierra Leone through ECOMOG about two decades ago.

Earlier in New York, spokesperson of the US National Security Council, Mike Hammer, had also restated Nigeria's role as US key partner in removing Gbagbo.

Speaking at the New York Foreign Press Center, Hammer said the US right now is "extremely focused on Ivory Coast and the efforts that are being made there to remove and make sure Mr. Gbagbo makes the right decision and moves out of that office. In that sense Nigeria has been a very important partner within ECOWAS and certainly as we've seen with former President Obasanjo's important role in an effort to mediate and try to convince former President Gbagbo to leave office."

The UN press conference held at the headquarters of the world body in New York and moderated by former Reuters journalist, Martin Nesirky, Secretary-General Ban also addressed issues pertaining to the implications of how a military action may affect UN troops in Ivory Coast.

He insisted that the legitimately elected President of Ivory Coast now is Alassane Quattara, who reportedly held a phone conference with reporters in Washington DC this past week to campaign for the forceful removal of Gbagbo.

"As I have said before, I say again: the facts on the ground are indisputable. Cote D'Ivoire has a legitimately elected president-Alassane Quattara. The previous incumbent, Laurent Gbagbo, must step aside", Ban said.

The US shares the same sense of urgency as Hammer said in New York earlier on Wednesday.

According to Hammer, the US President Barack Obama had earlier sent Mr. Gbagbo a letter "making it very clear that he had a very stark choice to either do the honorable thing and be a leading example for support for democratic institutions and respect the electoral outcome, or face isolation and disgrace. Unfortunately he has chosen the latter path."

Hammer added that now the United States in concert with its partners, whether it's ECOWAS or France whose President Obama met recently in Washington DC, is set to ensure Gbagbo is out.

"We have imposed targeted sanctions on Mr. Gbagbo and his family and his closest associates and including a travel ban. So the pressure is on him to now make a decision to leave that office and we'll continue to ratchet that up," he told foreign journalists New York earlier during the week.

But reporters at the UN wanted specific information about when force would be applied to remove Gbagbo. Below is the exchange between reporters and Ban on Friday.

Mr. Secretary-General, on Côte d'Ivoire, this morning Mr. Ouattara held a conference call with reporters at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, at which time he called for the removal of Mr. Gbagbo by force.  Do you think the time has come for military intervention, that he should be removed by force, and that patience has run out for negotiations?  And if not, how much longer can this situation go on before you think it would be time to take him out?

You should know that when this controversy happened, the African Union fully supported this certification of election result, and declared that Ouattara is the legitimately elected President of Côte d'Ivoire, and ECOWAS [Economic Community of West African States] supported this.  At the second ECOWAS summit meeting, ECOWAS leaders, composed of fifteen West African countries, decided first of all to engage in dialogue to resolve this issue in a peaceful manner.

They have also agreed that if this peaceful dialogue effort is rejected, then they would take all possible measures, including military measures.  Now, it's up to them.  I am not sure where they are standing in this case.  President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, when I have been speaking with him many times, told me he would be dispatching his special envoy to discuss the future course of action, and I'm also going to engage in consultation with many African leaders while attending the African Union Summit meeting later this month.  So let us see how we can resolve this issue.  It's quite frustrating that international calls have not been heeded by Mr. Gbagbo.  This time he should listen and accept the will of the Ivorian people, which has been demonstrated through Presidential elections.

UN, US Press Nigeria On Forceful Removal Of Gbagbo In Ivory Coast