AFRICA/CÔTE D'IVOIRE - Religious leaders have called for caution, but have not been heard

Saturday, 4 December 2010

COTE D'IVOIRE

2023-10-21
Media representative of the Bishops' Conference: “Our listeners ask us above all for prayers”

2023-10-04
Resignation of Archbishop of Gagnoa

2023-09-30
The President of Bishops on the tragedies of emigration: our young people are dying at sea because they cannot benefit from the Country's riches

2023-07-31
Youths from ten of the country's dioceses ready for WYD

2023-07-14
Health and education to fight poverty: missionaries in a small village on the outskirts

2023-05-15
Appointment of bishop of Katiola

Abidjan (Agenzia Fides) - “The fear of a split in the Country becomes more realistic,” a source from the local church in Abidjan tells Fides, in the capital of Côte d'Ivoire, where yesterday the Constitutional Council declared the incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo, winner of the presidential ballot on 28 November. The Constitutional Council annulled the results declared on 2 December by the Election Commission under which the winner of the election was instead Alassane Ouattara, with 54% of votes (see Fides 3/12/2010). The Constitutional Council invalidated the results of nine constituencies in the north (an area controlled by the former guerrillas of the New Forces) and declared Gbagbo the winner with 51.45% of the vote. “The UNOCI (the United Nations Mission in Côte d'Ivoire) rejected the conclusions of the Constitutional Council, saying that although they found some irregularities, the vote in the north was carried out correctly,” says the Fides source. The UN, the European Union and the United States have recognized the victory of Ouattara and asked Gbagbo to accept the result announced by the Electoral Commission. The New Forces and their leader, Guillaume Soro, who is the Prime Minister on the basis of the peace accords of 2007, support Ouattara.
“Archbishop Jean-Pierre Kutwa of Abidjan and spokesperson for the group of religious leaders for the 'peaceful' elections, and other religious representatives went to the Constitutional Council, recommending it to act prudently and without haste. Instead, the Council, which had a week to make its decision, announced Gbagbo's victory yesterday at 3.30 pm,” said the Fides source.
Gunfire was heard in the capital during the night between 3 and 4 December. “There were at least two victims, both originating from Burkina Faso. The people of Abidjan, who are of foreign origin, fear being subjected to violence,” reports our source.
At 12 noon today, 4 December, the swearing-in ceremony for Gbagbo will take place. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 04/12/2010)