Ivory Coast / France: Restart the good relations

By on October 5, 2010
President Gbagbo and Claude Gueant have re-energised the Franco-Ivorian relationships, by opening the way for the settlement of the political dispute between France and the Ivory Coast.

All sensitive issues were discussed, like the presidential election as well as the November 2004 events. Gueant met also with Prime Minister Guillaume Soro and the two main Ivorian opponents, Alassane Ouattara and Henri Konan Bedie, telling them that France has no candidate, or favourite, while noting also the willingness of all the political actors to participate to the election process in a peaceful climate. For its part, Paris is willing to lay the groundwork for a new “special partnership if the Ivory Coast wishes so. France is decisively ready, and it will be very happy to participate in more economic and cultural cooperation, academic exchanges and defence policy and security matters … Everything is now possible with the key large sums of funds available under the Ivorian debt cancellation from the French Treasury. Further evidence of good intentions, France will support the Ivorian request, demanding the Security Council to review the 1572 resolution in order to buy non-lethal weapons. Abidjan wants to equip its police and gendarmerie to maintain order on the Election Day. French soldiers of the “Licorne” force could be placed at the disposal of the UNOCI for securing the ballot. “A New page is opened about, promising for a new era”, the secretary general of the French government concluded.

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