Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Abidjan (Fides Service)- “We live in an atmosphere of tension and daily rumours of violence and a possibile coup” said local church sources in Abidjan, economic capital of Cote d’Ivoire with regard to a series of increasingly warlike declarations by the parties in conflict and in fact South African mediation has been rejected by the rebels which control the north and west of the country.
Yesterday 31 August the New Forces rebel group said it refused the mediation of South Africa’s President Mbeki and requested Nigerian president Olusegun Obsanjo, temporarily President of the African Union who asked Mbeki to mediate the Ivorian crisis, to “assume responsibility for a new mediation in Cote d’Ivoire”.
The representatives of the rebellion said rejection of South Africa’s mediation is due to statements by SA deputy foreign minister Aziz Pahad who said the New Forces are an obstacle on the path to peace. On 25 August the New Forces said they would not allow presidential elections scheduled for 30 October in areas under their control. The rebel leader Guillaume Soro accused the president Laurent Gbagbo of preventing constitutional and legislative reforms to allow citizens of foreign origin to take part in the elections. The rebels called for teh resignation of Gbagbo and a period of transition in preparation for elections.
“Tension increased in mid August when the former Ivorian army chief of staff asked the international community to force Gbagbo to resign warning that a military intervention could follow if his request was rejected” our sources recalled. “Some local observers say the army is divided and that part of it would support the former chief of staff in the case of a coup” the source added. “This has helped to increase tension with repeated rumours of an imminent coup. This situation is not new: regularly rumours are circulated to increase tension, then nothing happens and calm returns. Whatever the case people have begun stocking up with food”.
“The only positive note was a meeting of military officers of the regular army, the UN peacekeepers and the French peacekeepers who said they will continue to work together for peace in Cote d’Ivoire” the sources said.
In the meantime time the tension has triggered violence. Yesterday a Moroccean soldier member of the UN peace keeping mission was killed in a rebel attack in Bouaké in the northern area controlled by the New Forces. The news was reported by the UN mission present in the country. In Cote d’Ivoire 6,000 UN peace keepers were deployed last year supported by a contingent of 4,000 French troops. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 1/9/2005 righe 46 parole 510)
