AFRICA/IVORY COAST - African Union in favour of Ivory Coast referendum on Constitution “but rebels in the north disagree and seem to reject any idea of a united country” say Fides sources

Tuesday, 11 January 2005

Abidjan (Fides Service)- “I doubt conditions are right for the return of peace in Ivory Coast, indeed we see worrying signals which seem to indicate the continuation of the division of the nation” a missionary in the central northern town of Bouake told Fides. The situation in Ivory Coast was one of the matters discussed by the African Union Peace and Security Council meeting yesterday in Libreville, Gabon (see Fides 10 January 2005). At the end of the meeting the Council said that a referendum to change article 35 of the Ivorian Constitution on conditions for being elected president was one possible options.
Approved by parliament in December, the new version of article 35 affirms that to stand for presidency a person must have “Ivorian nationality and father or mother born in Ivory Coast” instead of the old version which requested “both parents born in Ivory Coast”. If passed the amendment would allow the main opposition candidate to President Laurent Gbagbo, former prime minister Alassane Ouattara to stand for presidency.
“The rebels agree with the amendment but not with a referendum” Fides sources recall. “Like the opposition they say a referendum could deepen division in the country. What is more for the referendum to take place there must be territorial unity and disarmament of all rebel militia and all this is still a long way off”.
Since September 2002, Ivory Coast has been split in two parts with the north under New Forces rebels a guerrilla group formed after an unsuccessful insurrection of troops stationed in the north.
“In fact the rebels are acting as if the north were a separate state” our sources say “For example in early January Bouake television broadcast a speech by the rebel leader Guillaume Soro which looked like a new year address of a head of state. What is more, on January 5 Soro held a meeting for civil society and church authorities announcing his intention to form a police force for the northern territories under the New Forces and that he had requested aid from international community to reopen two universities in the north in Bouake University and the University of Korhogo ”.
“While politicians argue, the people suffer in silence, resigned and inert” the missionary said. “Living conditions grow worse by the day. Movement is hampered by road blocks which serve only to extort money from the unfortunate ones forced for various reasons to move from one place to the other. Schools have reopened but with the present rate of unemployment who can afford annual fees of 10,000 CFA? No wonder crime is on the increase in many districts of Bouake” the missionary concluded. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 11/1/2005 righe 41 parole 541)


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