Africa: Gbagbo’s defeat is a lesson for the continent

By African Bulletin on April 4, 2011

Despite the human tragedy, accepting to share power between Allassane Ouatara and Laurron Gbagbo, in the Ivory Coast, would be  the worst solution.

This would mean that elections are useless in Africa, “since the two main adversaries would eventually divide the posts of president and prime minister” as it happened in  Kenya and Zimbabwe. Some  African heavyweight countries had been  in favor of this compromise, and it lasted until March 10  that countries such  Angola and South Africa have accepted the results of  November 28, 2010 recognising Ouattara as the winner, while allowing the African Union to do the same. Does this mean that the continent, where about 18 presidential elections took place will see the end of fraudulent elections? It is not obvious when you see that half of the Francophone African countries have constitutions allowing the president to stand indefinitely in power, and do not accept the release authority. But the final victory of Ouattara’s case will give ideas to people.
Moreover, the triumph of Alassane Ouattara is due not only to the support the African Union and ECOWAS, but also the role of the UN, which certified the election, at the request of both candidates, even if Laurent Gbagbo subsequently denounced the alleged partiality of the UN. This inspires new opponents such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, urging President Joseph Kabila to agree to a UN certification of the presidential election next November.
There would also be less rosy realities. According some African experts, Ouattara has benefited of a discreet a military support as much of a diplomatic help. Nigeria, which is also preparing a presidential election, would have preferred to send arms and military advisors to the pro-Ouattara. This would explain the rapidity of their progress and the sophisticated strategy of Abidjan encirclement.