Cote d’Ivoire News: Koroma decries Ivoirien crisis, EU backs Ouattra

[TGD]

As heavy gunfire rages in western Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leonean President, Dr. Bai Koroma has described the situation in the troubled West African country as "worrisome and unfortunate", but played down possible regional military intervention.

Koroma's comment came as internationally recognised President Alassane Ouattara offered his rival, Laurent Gbagbo the last chance to quit power peacefully.

At a press briefing in Lagos yesterday, Koroma said the ECOWAS' mandate that Gbagbo relinquishes power to the elected person stands. But, he said the region could not resort to military action at the moment as there are rooms for peaceful resolution of the crisis.

The Sierra Leonean leader who paid glowing tributes to Nigeria for helping to bring back his country on track from the ruins of a bloody war, urged the wider international community to urgently take action on the Cote d'Ivoire issue to forestall total war and humanitarian crisis.

Koroma was in Nigeria for the launching of West African Insurance Companies Association and made public presentation of the company registration documentations and the headquarters pact.

Although he lamented that the various visits to Cote d'Ivoire as well as the African Union (AU's) effort to resolve the crisis had not yielded the expected result, Koroma said the sub-regional body was awaiting the report of the delegation sent by the AU to determine the next step to take against Gbagbo's government.

The AU last week endorsed Ouattara's presidency, a move rejected by Gbagbo's aides.

Koroma spoke as the European Union (EU) expressed backing for the (AU's) Peace and Security Council decision on Cote d'Ivoire. The European regional bloc also declared yesterday as illegal, embattled President Gbagbo's cocoa nationalisation plan.

The AU's peace and security council had adopted the conclusions of the panel of Heads of State on the crisis in Cote d'Ivoire.

A statement by the EU Vice President and High Commissioner for External Affairs and Security Politics Catherine Ashton noted that the "decision is one more proof of the key role of the African Union and ECOWAS as guardians of peace and democracy in Africa."

Consequently, the EU also called on "all Ivoirien parties to implement the AU's decision which has my full support. The EU stands ready to support the process of national reconstruction and reconciliation as soon as circumstances on the ground allow."

The panel is seeking solution that both safeguards democracy and achieves a peaceful resolution of the crisis, notably through the creation of a government of National Unity under the authority of President Outtara and the other proposed measures to facilitate peace, national reconciliation and reunification.

Likening the Gbagbo pronouncement on cocoa to the creation of "blood cocoa", the EU said it considered the nationalisation of cocoa trade and threats to confiscate cocoa stock announced earlier this week as illegal. "Ex-President Gbagbo has no right to carry out any nationalisation or confiscation of goods since he is no longer the legal president of the country," EU said.

"This is yet another step of state looting, following the illegal seizure of commercial banks last month. The act illustrates that Laurent Gbagbo and his collaborators are prepared to use any means at their disposal and to violate any laws and convention to maintain power by force," it added.

Meanwhile, lack of proper co-ordination arising from the existence of too many Special Envoys in Darfur and Sudan has been said not to be helping the effective resolution of the crisis. African Union and United Nations Joint Special Representative in Darfur, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, a former Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister and Permanent Representative to the UN, made the remarks while delivering the keynote address in Singapore at the on-going weeklong 20th World Model United Nations Conference (World MUN), from March 14-18.

His speech released yesterday observed that the AU-UN Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), which he heads "has sometimes been vilified that we are not doing enough," Gambari disclosed that in Darfur and Sudan alone, apart from the regular diplomats representing their countries in Sudan, there are more than 17 special envoys working on the crisis all at the same time!

Besides, each of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, U.S., UK, China, France and Russia also have their own special envoys in Darfur apart from their regular ambassadors to Sudan!

While commending the fact that the international community has shown "uncommon interest" in the Darfur crisis, he disclosed that presently there are "more than 17 special envoys on Darfur/Sudan, and each permanent member of the Security Council has a SE who oversees Darfur issues."

According to him, "while this demonstration of interest in Darfur has generated large publicity, funding of a UN-mandated mission, it has the unintended consequences of lack of proper coordination."

Source: Koroma decries Ivoirien crisis, EU backs Ouattra