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West African Leaders Meeting on Ivory Coast Presidential Crisis

   VOA News  22 January 2011
   Laurent Gbagbo (Dec 2010 file photo)

Photo: Reuters

   Laurent Gbagbo (Dec 2010 file photo)

   West  African leaders are holding a summit in Mali Saturday to work on
   resolving the presidential deadlock in the Ivory Coast.
   Members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have
   demanded that incumbent Laurent Gbagbo resign.
   Two months after losing re-election, Mr. Gbagbo has ignored demands to
   cede power to Alassane Ouattara, the internationally recognized winner
   of the presidential election.
   Mr.  Ouattara  is  holed  up  in  a hotel in Abidjan where he is being
   protected by U.N. peacekeepers.
   Mr.  Ouattara  says he is open to letting Mr. Gbagbo live in the Ivory
   Coast  with  all  his  privileges  as a former president, but said Mr.
   Gbagbo has to resign immediately and peacefully.
   On  Friday,  the  United  Nations denounced an order by Mr. Gbagbo for
   police and army officials to search all U.N. vehicles.

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