29 March 2011
editorial
Last week’s decision by the Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS bloc to consider the use of military action to intervene in the crisis in Cote d’Ivoire reflects the frustrations of the international community with incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo’s refusal to cede power to the man who won last November’s president election.
Since that election, Gbagbo has refused every mediation effort to respect the people’s will and hand over to President- elect Alassane Ouattara who defeated him in the run-off poll held on November 28, 2010. Gbagbo has tested the will of the international community for far too long; the ECOWAS decision is therefore a logical one.
The Abuja declaration bridged a rift created when President John Atta Mills of Ghana rejected the military option in dealing with the crisis when the use of force was first mooted at the last summit of December. Ghana’s position is understandable, given its common border with its crisis-torn neighbour. But Gbagbo’s intransigence could potentially destabilise the entire sub-region and tackling it head-on by the regional bloc would contain whatever spill-over effects that Dr Mills feared. In addition, it would halt the slide to another civil war that Gbagbo appears to be courting in Cote d’Ivoire. ECOWAS, the African Union (AU) as well as the United Nations have on several occasions sent emissaries to Gbagbo, to mediate the crisis and convince him to step aside but to no avail. He has resisted all calls to cede power, and has not acted on his promises to resolve the crisis amicably. His stubbornness has prevented the Ivorian people from enjoying the peace, security and prosperity that the much-delayed election had promised to bring.
So far, over 50,000 Ivoirians have fled the violence and taken refuge in neighbouring Liberia and Ghana. In fact a more recent review is suggesting a much higher figure. Gbagbo’s loyalists have unleashed mayhem in the cities, and publicly called on their members to attack and kill Ouattara’s supporters. Nationals of countries seen as backing Ouattara have been targets of frequent attacks by rampaging youths who pledge support for Gbagbo. These youths are being recruited into the army, preparatory to launching attacks on people considered loyal to Ouattara. Earlier this month, Gbagbo said he would erect a no-fly zone in the country to deter UN and ECOWAS troops deployed on peace keeping mission there.
Last week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned of ‘serious risks’ from the power struggle in Cote d’Ivoire, saying the longer it continued the more severe its impact would be on the region’s economy.
The world’s top cocoa grower, Cote d’Ivoire’s share of regional economic output has fallen from 45 percent in the 1980s to a third, after years of economic stagnation largely caused by political instability. And as the crisis deepens, the situation continues to worsen.
The scenario is therefore one that calls for the intervention that ECOWAS leaders have proposed. Whatever military operation is taken, it would be fraught with challenges. But the greater good it would bring will be the restoration of normal life for Ivoirians, peace and economic prosperity in the country. There are an estimated 10,000 UN troops stationed in Cote d’Ivoire; the Security Council recently approve additional 2,000 to maintain peace and security in the country.
It is however disappointing to note that countries such as France and the United States have dragged their feet on the Ivoirian matter for so long; their quick-on-the-draw action in Libya on the other hand portrays double standard on their part.
The Ivorian electorates who have voted change through democratic means deserve no less support from their supposed leader who has lost any semblance of legitimacy to remain in power. Gbagbo simply cannot be allowed to thwart the people’s will and go scot-free. If his conduct has direct bearing on the spate of killings that has been reported in the country, Gbagbo should be called to account. In executing its plan to remove Gbagbo, ECOWAS should consider the safety of the civilian population in the operation. The co-operation of the Ivorian people is also sine qua non to the success of ECOWAS in this regard. Gbagbo’s tyranny is a threat to the people and a blot on the sub-region; taking action to stop a greater evil would be in line with Article 2 (4) of the UN which approves such intervention ‘to maintain international and regional peace and security’. Taking action now may prevent the most certain drift back to civil war that Cote d’Ivoire faces.
AllAfrica – All the Time
