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ECOWAS Leaders Meet Over Ivory Coast Crisis

   Peter Clottey 23 December 2010
   Troops  loyal  to  former  president  Laurent  Gbagbo  try to disperse
   supporters  of  Alassane  Ouattara  in  the popular Aboboa district of
   Abidjan, 16 Dec 2010

Photo: AFP

   Troops  loyal  to  former  president  Laurent  Gbagbo  try to disperse
   supporters  of  Alassane  Ouattara  in  the popular Aboboa district of
   Abidjan, 16 Dec 2010

   An  official of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
   told  VOA  several heads of state and government in the sub-region are
   in  Nigeriaâs capital, Abuja, to participate in an emergency summit to
   find ways to resolve the political crisis in Ivory Coast.

   Sonny  Ugoh,  communications  director  for  ECOWAS,  said  it will be
   premature  for  them  to  employ  militarily  force  to remove Ivorian
   President Laurent Gbagbo from power.

   âLater  today,  heads of state will be meeting to review the situation
   in  Cote  dâIvoire  since  their  last  summit and see what additional
   things  they need to do, (and) what additional measures they will need
   to  agree  on  to  realize  the objective that they have enunciated in
   their last communiqué on their last extraordinary summit also on Cote
   dâIvoire,â  said  Ugoh,  to  see  how  they  can bring to fruition the
   takeover  of (Alassane) Ouattara as the president, as reflected in the
   last document that they had here.â

   Supporters  of  former  Prime  Minister  Ouattara  have  called on the
   international  community  to use force to remove Mr. Gbagbo from power
   saying targeted sanctions have not yielded the desired result.

   The  international  community,  including  ECOWAS,  has recognized Mr.
   Ouattara  as  the  winner of Ivory Coastâs 28^th November presidential
   run-off vote and has demanded President Gbagbo step down and hand over
   power to his successor.

   But,  Mr.  Gbagbo, who is backed by the countryâs military, has so far
   refused  to step down, despite increasing international pressure to do
   so.  He  maintains  he  is  the  countryâs true president saying he is
   willing to allow envoys from the African Union, the European Union and
   the United Nations to form a panel to study the post-election crisis.

   Ugoh  said  it is imperative for the sub-regional bloc to help resolve
   the Ivorian crisis.

   âIt  will  be irresponsible of us to just pretend that because we have
   taken  a decision at the last extraordinary summit that that is all we
   can  do.  I think we will engage with the issue of Cote dâIvoire until
   (the  issues  are)  resolved  and  there  is  a peaceful transition to
   President Ouattara.â

   Meanwhile,  the  United States says it is talking with African nations
   about  the possibility of boosting international peacekeepers in Ivory
   Coast.
   U.S.  officials  say  any  move  to  increase  the  10,000-person U.N.
   peacekeeping  force  would not be aimed at deposing Mr. Gbagbo, but to
   deter him from using his own forces to stay in power.

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