By Nangayi Guyson – Ivory Coast’s incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo has rejected a deadline set by his rival for him to stand down, saying the international community is trying to stage a coup against him. Alassane Ouattara’s supporters said Mr Gbagbo would have “no difficulties” if he resigned before 0000 GMT on Friday but Mr Gbagbo said the country could face greater violence if he were to leave office. In an address for the new year, Mr Gbagbo said the pressure for him to quit amounted to “an attempted coup d’etat carried out under the banner of the international community”.... Continue Reading
By Nangayi Guyson – Abidjan – United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has warned supporters of Ivory Coast’s defeated President Laurent Gbagbo that peacekeepers will use deadly force if attacked by supporters who have threatened to seize a UN-protected hotel occupied by Alassane Ouattara, the winner of last month’s presidential vote. On Wednesday Mr Gbagbo’s Minister for Youth, Charles Ble Goude, urged followers to storm the Golf Hotel on Saturday “with our bare hands”. A statement from Mr Ban’s office said he was “deeply alarmed” by Mr Ble Goude’s call, adding that the UN mission would use all necessary means... Continue Reading
By Nangayi Guyson – Tunis – President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia on Wednesday fired the country’s communications minister Oussama Romdhani after protests over unemployment that spread to several towns and led to at least two deaths. In his government reshuffle, he retained the interior minister despite opposition calls to oust him, according to a government statement. The president, who runs this tiny Muslim country in North Africa with an iron fist, said the night before that the recent protest violence was manipulated by foreign media and hurt the country’s image. Tunisia is a popular destination for European... Continue Reading
By Nangayi Guyson – Mr Bamba, who was appointed by Mr Ouattara as ambassador to UN and formally welcomed at the its New York headquarters on Wednesday, solidifying UN support for Mr Ouattara., has warned that the country is “on the brink of genocide”. In a TV interview, Youssoufou Bamba said there had been large scale violation of human rights as a result of the ongoing political unrest. Despite Alassane Ouattara, being internationally accepted as the presidential election winner, Laurent Gbagbo is refusing to step down saying Mr Ouattara’s victory in November was illegitimate. Both of them have been sworn... Continue Reading
By: Augustine N. Myers – Amid Fears of Political Violence in neighboring Ivory Coast, Ivorian refugees continue to flee into Liberia through Nimba County in the east. The UNHCR and the local authorities, including the Liberia Refugees Repatriation & Resettlement Commission (LRRRC), said they have so far recorded a total of 15,120 refugees from villages between Danane and Guiglo in western Cote d’Ivoire while another 4,000 influx had been reported. Majority of the refugees are women and children, with 62 percent below 18 years of age. The refugees are a mixed group of supporters of both Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane... Continue Reading
