Ivorian television broadcasts registration [numbers] of UN civilian vehicles
LEMONDE.FR with AFP and Reuters | 24.01.11 | 7:38 • Updated 24.01.
Nigeria calls on the Security Council to authorize the UN force in Ivory Coast to hunt Laurent Gbagbo ‘s office, says the foreign minister, Odein Ajumogobia , in a letter published Monday, January 24, in the Nigerian media.
Currently chaired by Nigeria, “the Economic Community of African States Western [ECOWAS] requires unequivocal international support through a specific resolution of the Security Council of UN to validate the use of force “, but “last resort,” writes Mr. Ajumogbia. He said the current crisis could lead to “a real civil war” and she “was precipitated by one Laurent Gbagbo,” the outgoing president of Ivory Coast who refuses to give way for Alassane Ouattara .
The latter is recognized as elected president of Cote d’Ivoire through the bulk of the international community after the election last November.
THREATS AGAINST THE UN
Ivorian state television aired on Sunday evening 23 January, the alleged registration numbers of forty-one civilian vehicles of the UN in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) for them to be “searched” by police, said a spokesman for the army, loyal to incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo.
The Gbagbo government announced Friday that the army would henceforth monitor and search vehicles branded apparel “A” of UNOCI, accused of being an “occupying force”, “accomplice” of ex-rebel New Forces (FN), which support Alassane Ouattara, Gbagbo’s rival for the Ivorian presidency.
Vehicles could serve as caches of weapons ” according to the Government, that UNOCI had denied. “This foreign force [UNOCI] has changed its strategy to move freely and thus evade the controls ” using ” vehicles carrying civil registration ” without initials “UN”, said on television Colonel Hilaire Gohourou Barbi, spokesman of the Defence Forces and security.
CURE
“As soon as he was informed of other acts of perfidy of UNOCI, the Chief of Defence Staff again instructed the police and the gendarmerie for the purpose of immobilizing the vehicles once identified (…) and to proceed carefully to search their contents and to request the use made of the said vehicle ” , added the spokesman.
After his statement, public television broadcast that evening on a banner down the forty and vehicle registrations suspected of UNOCI, whose spokesman was unavailable Sunday night. The relationship between UNOCI and the Gbagbo camp has hardened in recent weeks, UN forces – who certified the victory of Mr. Ouattara’s presidential November 28 – have repeatedly denounced acts of aggression against its patrols supporters and the forces of the outgoing president.
After the announcement of the excavations, the UN, New York , had estimated that the measure was “a serious violation” of the agreement under which the forces of peace have been sent to Ivory Coast.
STOP EXPORT OF COFFEE AND COCOA
Cocoa prices soared Monday on the markets of London and New York after the announcement by the Government of Alassane Ouattara to stop a month of exports of cocoa and coffee in the country. Having already increased by almost 14% over the past week, during the dark, Lefevre [reports] prices ccelerated their advance Monday, jumping more than 6% in early trade from their close of Friday.
In a statement, Mr. Ouattara had “informed traders of the immediate cessation of all exports of coffee and cocoa” , starting this Monday until 23 February. While coffee and cocoa account for 40% of export revenues in Côte d’Ivoire and about 20% of its GDP, “the new president is, by the embargo, seeking to drain the financial resources of his opponent, President Outgoing Laurent Gbagbo ” , analysts believed. Côte d’Ivoire is 12th largest producer of coffee [in the world] and 3rd in Africa after Ethiopia and Uganda.
Whoever violates this prohibition is punishable, said in a statement the government Ouattara, entrenched in the Hotel du Golf d’Abidjan under the protection of peacekeepers.
The EU does not exclude a EMBARGO
The spokesman for the chief diplomat of the European Union, Catherine Ashton , Maja Kocijancic , responded Monday to the announcement of Alassane Ouattara, stating that “the possibility of a trade embargo exists” and is “an option” in Côte d’Ivoire, where incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo continues to remain in office.
However, Ms. Kocijancic said that “it is not an immediate option,” because the EU wants to examine the impact that time will have the sanctions already imposed against Laurent Gbagbo and around him. The Europeans have decided to freeze assets and deny visas Ivorian President outgoing and almost ninety people in his entourage and several companies.
