PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Ivorian crisis: Nigerian experts want Gbagbo forced out of power
Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - International relations experts in Nigeria have called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
and the international community not to recognise Laurent Gbagbo as the President of Cote d'Ivoire, a day after he was sworn into office under
controversial circumstances.
According to the Ivorian electoral body, CEI, opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara won the 28 Nov. presidential run-off pitching him against Gbagbo,
but the country's Constitutional Council reversed the result and pronounced Gbagbo the winner. Both were sworn into office at separate ceremonies Saturday.
''I think what African Union and ECOWAS should do is to come out clearly and tell Laurent Gbagbo that he is not the choice of the people of Cote d’Ivoire
and therefore allow the legitimate winner to be sworn-in as President,'' said Kabiru Mato of the Political Science Department, University of Abuja, in the Nigerian
capital city.
''I think what the AU and ECOWAS should do is to deploy military power to ensure that the true aspirations of the people are met. Government of National Unity
or Coalition Government is not the way out. An election was conducted and a winner emerged,'' he added.
Warning against mere imposition of sanctions, Mato said they have not been effective in the past.
''What needs to be done is to stick by the result and ensure the winner is sworn-in. They (ECOWAS) need to deploy military capability to force Gbagbo out. This is
better than sanctions,'' Mato said.
Prof. Warris Alli, a former head of research at the think-tank Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos also spoke in the same vein, saying: ''The only
political way forward is for the necessary institutions like ECOWAS, AU and the United Nations to be firm against him (Gbagbo) and ensure that he is not
given recognition anywhere.''
Alli described the Ivorian crisis as very unfortunate, saying what is happening in the West African country is a repeat of the post elections crisis
witnessed in Kenya and Zimbabwe.
He expressed displeasure that it is only in Africa that incumbents are not prepared to leave office peacefully, stressing that where they refuse to leave when the
ovation is loudest, they should be forced out.
Alli advised ECOWAS and AU leaders against contemplating the idea of Government of National Unity as a political settlement of the crisis, but to stick by the
electoral body result.
''It is not just a question of sanctions. That man (Gbagbo) should not be allowed to occupy the seat. He should be denied recognition,'' he said.
Both experts said there was the need for the international community to act fast and decisively in preventing the country from relapsing into another conflict.
In 2002, the once-peaceful West Africa nation - which is the world's leading cocoa producer - split into two after a mutiny by a section of the military.
The presidential election was supposed to seal the country's final return to peace, after a series of peace accords.
ECOWAS, which is standing by the result announced by the CEI, has called an extra-ordinary summit for Abuja on Tuesday, while the AU has appointed former South
African President Thabo Mbeki to mediate in the crisis.
-0- PANA SB/SEG 5Dec2010
and the international community not to recognise Laurent Gbagbo as the President of Cote d'Ivoire, a day after he was sworn into office under
controversial circumstances.
According to the Ivorian electoral body, CEI, opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara won the 28 Nov. presidential run-off pitching him against Gbagbo,
but the country's Constitutional Council reversed the result and pronounced Gbagbo the winner. Both were sworn into office at separate ceremonies Saturday.
''I think what African Union and ECOWAS should do is to come out clearly and tell Laurent Gbagbo that he is not the choice of the people of Cote d’Ivoire
and therefore allow the legitimate winner to be sworn-in as President,'' said Kabiru Mato of the Political Science Department, University of Abuja, in the Nigerian
capital city.
''I think what the AU and ECOWAS should do is to deploy military power to ensure that the true aspirations of the people are met. Government of National Unity
or Coalition Government is not the way out. An election was conducted and a winner emerged,'' he added.
Warning against mere imposition of sanctions, Mato said they have not been effective in the past.
''What needs to be done is to stick by the result and ensure the winner is sworn-in. They (ECOWAS) need to deploy military capability to force Gbagbo out. This is
better than sanctions,'' Mato said.
Prof. Warris Alli, a former head of research at the think-tank Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos also spoke in the same vein, saying: ''The only
political way forward is for the necessary institutions like ECOWAS, AU and the United Nations to be firm against him (Gbagbo) and ensure that he is not
given recognition anywhere.''
Alli described the Ivorian crisis as very unfortunate, saying what is happening in the West African country is a repeat of the post elections crisis
witnessed in Kenya and Zimbabwe.
He expressed displeasure that it is only in Africa that incumbents are not prepared to leave office peacefully, stressing that where they refuse to leave when the
ovation is loudest, they should be forced out.
Alli advised ECOWAS and AU leaders against contemplating the idea of Government of National Unity as a political settlement of the crisis, but to stick by the
electoral body result.
''It is not just a question of sanctions. That man (Gbagbo) should not be allowed to occupy the seat. He should be denied recognition,'' he said.
Both experts said there was the need for the international community to act fast and decisively in preventing the country from relapsing into another conflict.
In 2002, the once-peaceful West Africa nation - which is the world's leading cocoa producer - split into two after a mutiny by a section of the military.
The presidential election was supposed to seal the country's final return to peace, after a series of peace accords.
ECOWAS, which is standing by the result announced by the CEI, has called an extra-ordinary summit for Abuja on Tuesday, while the AU has appointed former South
African President Thabo Mbeki to mediate in the crisis.
-0- PANA SB/SEG 5Dec2010
