AFRICA/CÔTE D'IVOIRE - Fears of violence after an appeal to Ouattara's supporters on the march to television headquarters

Abidjan (Agenzia Fides) - “There are strong fears that the situation might get out of hand and that there will be violent clashes between supporters of both camps,” a source from the Church in Abidjan, the economic capital of Côte d'Ivoire, tells Fides, who for security reasons does not wish to be named. On 14 December the party of Alassane Ouattara, the President recognized by the international community, asked its supporters to “accompany the government en masse on 16 December to the RTI (national radio and television) to establish its new director”, and on 17 December to accompany the Council of Ministers of Quattara, which is led by Guillaume Soro, to the Government headquarters in central Abidjan.
On 3 December, the Constitutional Council annulled the results declared on 2 December by the Election Commission under which the winner of the election was Alassane Ouattara, with 54% of the vote, and instead declared the winner of the ballot of 28 November, the outgoing President Laurant Gbagbo. Côte d'Ivoire now has two Presidents with two respective Prime Ministers and their Governments (see Fides 6/12/2010).
“The fear that the situation is deteriorating is compounded by the fact that many of Ouattara's supporters in Abidjan have come from different places in the north of the Country, who also connected to the New Forces, the former rebel movement that has been controlling the north since September 2002,” the source told Fides. In the north and the west, the “New Forces” still have armed units, despite the peace agreements of 2007 which provided for a gradual integration of former rebels into FANCI, the regular armed forces. The FANCI have remained loyal to Gbagbo and a resumption of the civil war of past years is therefore possible.
“To avoid the worst, efforts to mediate between the two sides continue and the Catholic Church takes part,” says our source. “Moreover, the faithful continue to pray in churches for peace in the Country.” (LM) (Agenzia Fides 15/12/2010)