America.gov (Washington, DC)
Stephen Kaufman
31 March 2011
The Obama administration says Côte d’Ivoire’s Laurent Gbagbo is in “a weakened position” as forces loyal to internationally recognized President Alassane Ouattara gain control over more areas of the country, and urges Gbagbo to seize the opportunity to step down from power in a manner that would avoid additional harm to civilians.
Speaking in Washington March 31, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson called on all sides to exercise restraint, saying they should make the protection of civilians “their highest priority.” The Ivorians have “already paid a very high price for democracy,” he said.
The country’s political crisis began in November after Gbagbo refused to honor the results of an internationally recognized presidential election won by Ouattara. The four-month standoff has devastated the country’s economy, created a humanitarian crisis and refugee situation that threatens the stability of neighboring countries, and led to the deaths of more than 400 Ivorian citizens, Carson said.
On March 30, Ouattara’s forces captured the city of San Pedro, which is the world’s largest port for the export of cocoa, and they are now on the outskirts of the country’s largest city, Abidjan. Carson said Gbagbo has an opportunity to end his country’s political crisis and avoid urban fighting, which could result in significant civilian casualties.
If Gbagbo does not step aside, “he and those around him … will have to be held accountable for the actions that they failed to take” to stop the violence, Carson said.
Carson said there is “a clear indication that the military forces of Gbagbo have, in fact, started to disintegrate,” with suggestions that there are widespread desertions.
He said the South African government has confirmed that Gbagbo’s army chief, Philippe Mangou, has sought asylum in their ambassador’s residence in Abidjan.
On March 30, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1975, which imposed sanctions on Gbagbo, his wife and three close associates, and called upon Gbagbo to “immediately step aside” in favor of Ouattara. It also reinforced the mandate of the nearly 10,000-member U.N. Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), urging the U.N. forces to use “all necessary means” to protect civilians, including preventing the use of heavy weapons against them.
Ambassador Susan Rice, the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, said March 30 that the resolution is the Security Council’s “strongest statement to date” on the political crisis.
“We think this sends a very strong signal, both of Council unity and the international community’s determination that the people of Côte d’Ivoire, once and for all, have the opportunity to see a government chosen by the people,” Rice said.
In a March 25 message to the people of Côte d’Ivoire, President Obama warned that Gbagbo’s continued efforts to cling to power will only result in more violence, including that directed against innocent civilians, as well as more diplomatic and economic isolation.
“President Alassane Ouattara is the democratically elected leader of the nation,” Obama said, and he is offering “a peaceful future for all Ivorians — an inclusive government, reunification and reconciliation.”
He urged Gbagbo to follow “the example of leaders who reject violence and abide by the will of the people” by stepping down.
The people of Côte d’Ivoire have a proud past and deserve “a future of hope, not fear,” Obama said.
“You deserve leaders like President Ouattara, who can restore your country’s rightful place in the world. You deserve the chance to determine your own destiny,” the president said.
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Cote d’Ivoire: U.S. Urges Nation to Avoid More Civilian Casualties