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ECOWAS Leaders Return to Ivory Coast Monday Not to Negotiate

   Sierra  Leone  information  minister  Ibrahim Ben Kargbo says the West
   African leaders will tell embattled President Gbagbo to step down

   James Butty | Washington, D.C. 03 January 2011
   Supporters of opposition leader Alassane Ouattara, make their feelings
   known, as they sing at an event at a hotel in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, 30
   Dec 2010

Photo: AP

   Supporters of opposition leader Alassane Ouattara, make their feelings
   known, as they sing at an event at a hotel in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, 30
   Dec 2010

   Three  presidents  from  the Economic Community of West African States
   (ECOWAS)  are expected in Ivory Coast Monday to reiterate the regional
   blocâs  demand that embattled President Laurent Gbagbo leave power and
   give way to his rival Alassane Ouattara.

   The  leaders  will  be  joined by African Union envoy and Kenyan Prime
   Minister, Raila Odinga.

   Traveling   with   Sierra  Leoneon  President  Ernest  Bai  Koroma  is
   Information  Minister Ibrahim Ben Kargbo who told VOA the West African
   leaders are not going to negotiate with Mr. Gbagbo.

   Instead,  Kargbo  said  the regional leaders are returning to tell the
   Ivorian  leader  to  abide  by  the  Christmas  Eve ECOWAS declaration
   calling for him to step down.

   âWe  are  leaving  this  morning,  Monday,  heading for Abidjan, Ivory
   Coast.  Yes,  the  President  of  Sierra  Leone  will be joined by the
   Presidents of Cape Verde and Benin to meet with Mr. Laurent Gbagbo and
   Mr.  Ouattara  once more consistent with the Christmas Eve communiqué
   circulated by the heads of state in Abuja,â he said.

   Ivory  Coast  leader  Laurent  Gbagbo  at  the  presidential palace in
   Abidjan, Dec 30 2010.

Reuters

   Ivory  Coast  leader  Laurent  Gbagbo  at  the  presidential palace in
   Abidjan, Dec 30 2010.

   Kargbo  said the West African leaders are not going back to Abidjan to
   negotiate with Mr. Gbagbo.

   âECOWAS  is  merely  attempting or trying to implement the communiqué
   circulated  by  the  heads  of  state  Christmas Eve and, in doing so,
   ECOWAS  wants  to  make  it  very  clear  that  there  is  no point of
   negotiation,  as  all  the  parties must adhere to the contents of the
   communiqué  circulated  by  the  heads  of  state  on  the  24^th  of
   December,â Kargbo said.

   The  international  community, including the African Union, recognizes
   Mr. Ouattara as the country's new president.

   Kargbo said Mr. Gbagbo and his supporters must respect the decision of
   Ivory  Coastâs  election  commission,  as  well  as  the  view  of the
   international community.

   âDonât forget that the international community holds the view that Mr.
   Ouattara  is  the  legitimate president of Cote dâIvoire at the moment
   because  the  international  community  holds the view that it was Mr.
   Ouattara  who  won  the  election recently conducted in that country,â
   Kargbo said.

   He  did  not  rule  out  that  ECOWAS will use force should Mr. Gbagbo
   refuse to step down.

   âThe   legitimacy  of  ECOWAS  is  not  in  dispute  at  all  and  the
   determination  of  ECOWAS  to  bring  this thing to an end is not (in)
   dispute  at  all.  What  is very clear is that ECOWAS wants to be very
   certain  that  everybody is given a fair chance, including Mr. Laurent
   Gbagbo,  before  a final decision is taken. But definitely, ECOWAS not
   prepared  to  negotiate  on  the issue as to who the president of Cote
   dâIvoire  (is)  because it is so clear that Mr. Ouattara is considered
   the president of that country at the moment,â Kargbo said.

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