Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Gbagbo Aide: Mondayâs Meeting Starting Point to End Ivorian Crisis

   Peter Clottey 02 January 2011
   Former French foreign minister Roland Dumas (L) talks with Ivory Coast
   leader  Laurent  Gbagbo  at the presidential palace in Abidjan, Dec 30
   2010.

Photo: Reuters

   Former French foreign minister Roland Dumas (L) talks with Ivory Coast
   leader  Laurent  Gbagbo  at the presidential palace in Abidjan, Dec 30
   2010.

   A  special  adviser to embattled Ivoirian President Laurent Gbagbo has
   denied  a  scheduled meeting today (Monday) by a group of sub-regional
   and  continental leaders will aim to persuade Mr. Gbagbo to peacefully
   step down and go into exile.

   Ambassador  Yao  Gnamien  said  the arrival of the leaders will be the
   starting  point  of  resolving the countryâs crisis following disputes
   after the 28^th November presidential run-off vote.

   âThey  are  not coming to negotiate the departure of President Gbagbo.
   They are coming to Cote DâIvoire just for a process of negotiations so
   that  we  can find a peaceful solution to the crisis. So, they are not
   coming to ask President Gbagbo to cede the power. No. it is not true,â
   he said.

   Nigerian  President Goodluck Jonathan, who is also the chairman of the
   Economic  Community of West African States (ECOWAS), will be joined by
   Kenyan  Prime  Minister  Raila  Odinga the presidents of Benin, Sierra
   Leone,  and  Cape Verde to hold another round of negotiations with Mr.
   Gbagbo to find ways of ending the crisis.

   President Jonathan reportedly said, the rub-regional bloc, ECOWAS will
   determine its next line of action Tuesday after hearing back from this
   second round of talks with Mr. Gbagbo.

   ECOWAS  warned that it will use âlegitimate forceâ if President Gbagbo
   refuses  to  step down. The sub-regional bloc is joined by the African
   Union,  the  United  Nations  as well as the rest of the international
   community  that  recognizes former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara as
   winner of the presidential run-off.

   Ambassador  Gnamien  said  President  Gbagbo is opposed to any kind of
   violence or force to resolve the ongoing crisis.

   âIf  you  consider  that  the  international community is a judge, the
   first  thing a judge has to do is to listen to the parties involved in
   the conflict. I think the international community has already listened
   to  Mr.  Ouattara,  and the second step is to invite the international
   community  to  listen  to  President  Gbagbo.  This  is why the former
   president  of  the Constitutional Court in France Mr. Roland Dumas and
   an  international  lawyer  Jacques  Verges are nor in Cote DâIvoire to
   investigate  so  that they can tell the truth to the public opinion in
   France,â said Ambassador Gnamien.

   âSo  if  the  United States wants to know the truth, they have to send
   the  experts they have, they have to send the judges they have so that
   they  can  come  and investigate. And after the investigation they can
   make a sound decision.â

   Meanwhile, sub-regional bloc ECOWAS, has warned that it will be forced
   to  use  âlegitimate  forceâ  if embattled President Gbagbo refuses to
   step  down. But, despite increasing international pressure, supporters
   of the Ivoirian leader say Mr. Gbagbo will not step down.

.