Three presidents of African countries, arrived in Ivory Coast on Tuesday in an attempt to thwart the country's political crisis.
Presidents Yayi Boni of Benin, Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone and Pedro Pires of Cape Verde had a meeting with Young-Jin Choi, Special Envoy of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the representative of the African Union.
They are scheduled to meet with President Laurent Gbagbo and later to his rival, Alassane Ouattara, who both claimed victory in presidential elections last month.
The three leaders representing the 15 members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which held an emergency meeting Friday in Nigeria and an ultimatum to Gbagbo to resign or threat of military force.
Interior Minister Emile Guirieoulou Gbagbo said on Sunday the three leaders would "have brothers, friends."
"We listen, listen to the message that they carry out their" Guirieoulou said. "If you respect our constitution, we're going to talk ... our Constitution is not negotiable."
However, Foreign Minister Alcide Djedje said Gbagbo would not resign.
Ivory Coast Independent Electoral Commission, supported by the United Nations, said opposition leader Ouattara winner of a runoff in November. But the Constitutional Council invalidated the results and declared the incumbent Gbagbo wins.
The international community, including the U.S., UN and African Union have recognized Ouattara who wins and urged Gbagbo to cede power.
The political stalemate has cast the crisis in Côte d'Ivoire and dozens of people died in the violence.
Some 14,000 refugees have fled to neighboring Liberia, according to the refugee agency of the UN, many of them children.
Last Friday, ECOWAS has said he would not hesitate to use "legitimate force" if necessary to defuse the crisis.
African Union has suspended the organization in Côte d'Ivoire ", until a democratically elected president, actually requires the power of the state."
The World Bank over loans and the disbursement of funds to the Ivory Coast and closed its office in the country.
Presidents Yayi Boni of Benin, Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone and Pedro Pires of Cape Verde had a meeting with Young-Jin Choi, Special Envoy of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the representative of the African Union.
They are scheduled to meet with President Laurent Gbagbo and later to his rival, Alassane Ouattara, who both claimed victory in presidential elections last month.
The three leaders representing the 15 members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which held an emergency meeting Friday in Nigeria and an ultimatum to Gbagbo to resign or threat of military force.
Interior Minister Emile Guirieoulou Gbagbo said on Sunday the three leaders would "have brothers, friends."
"We listen, listen to the message that they carry out their" Guirieoulou said. "If you respect our constitution, we're going to talk ... our Constitution is not negotiable."
However, Foreign Minister Alcide Djedje said Gbagbo would not resign.
Ivory Coast Independent Electoral Commission, supported by the United Nations, said opposition leader Ouattara winner of a runoff in November. But the Constitutional Council invalidated the results and declared the incumbent Gbagbo wins.
The international community, including the U.S., UN and African Union have recognized Ouattara who wins and urged Gbagbo to cede power.
The political stalemate has cast the crisis in Côte d'Ivoire and dozens of people died in the violence.
Some 14,000 refugees have fled to neighboring Liberia, according to the refugee agency of the UN, many of them children.
Last Friday, ECOWAS has said he would not hesitate to use "legitimate force" if necessary to defuse the crisis.
African Union has suspended the organization in Côte d'Ivoire ", until a democratically elected president, actually requires the power of the state."
The World Bank over loans and the disbursement of funds to the Ivory Coast and closed its office in the country.

Comments
Post a Comment