Ivory Coast: ECOWAS condemns Gbagbo

By on December 6, 2010
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), composed by 15 countries, including Côte d’Ivoire has condemned the nomination of Laurent Gbagbo as Ivorian President and announced a special meeting of regional leaders on the situation.

The summit will be held Tuesday in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, to decide what action to take. ECOWAS wishes to express its deep disappointment over the anomalies that have marked the power transition in that Member State, particularly the announcement of the winner and its proclamation as new President. “ECOWAS condemns any attempt to usurp the popular will of the people of Ivory Coast and is calling on all leaders to accept the results declared by the Independent Electoral Commission. Gbagbo was proclaimed winner of the presidential election with 51.45% of the vote by a Constitutional Council adhering to his cause, which had invalidated the results of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) giving his rival, Alassane Ouattara, winner, leading the votes with 54.1%. The latter is relying on a very broad international support, will not disarm and has been also sworn in on last Saturday. A letter has been sent to the President of the Constitutional Council.

The Ivory Coast has lived a scene of a crazy week, and the country is politically split between two new sworn in presidents and might plunge in a definite geographic split between the North and the South.

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