Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Abidjan (Fides Service)- “The important thing is that dialogue continues and that the international community continues its efforts to mediate” say local sources in Abidjan, economic capital of Côte d'Ivoire with regard to recent developments in the national crisis which has dragged on since September 2002. Today 9 February South Africa’s minister of defence Mosiuoa Lekota agreed with President Laurent Gbagbo decision to extend the national assembly’s mandate. South Africa has been charged by the African Union to mediate the Ivorian crisis.
“It is true that the International Work Group on Côte d'Ivoire IWGCI said the national assembly mandate expired in December 2005 ” the minister said. “But as with the case of the expired mandate of President Gbagbo which the UN extended for one year, if existing institutions are dismantled it will be impossible to go ahead with the process to solve the Ivorian crisis” said Lekota who added that in Côte d'Ivoire there is a general consensus that institutions must continue to function otherwise “there would be a void in the country”.
A decision on January 15 reached by the IWGCI, a body set up by the UN and other international organisations to solve the Ivorian crisis, not to prolong the mandate of parliament which expired in December 2005, brought strong protest from supporters of President Gbagbo with clashes in which several people were killed and others wounded. This new statement by the South African minister is an opening to the position taken by President Gbagbo, who said on 27 January that parliament would continue to function.
In the meantime another signal of opening comes from Guillaume Soro leader of the New Forces rebel group which since September 2002 controls the north western region of Côte d'Ivoire. Soro asked Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to continue his work of mediation. On a visit to Nigeria at the head of a delegation of 4 members of the New Forces Soro asked the Nigerian president to “continue to help Côte d'Ivoire” even now that his mandate as president of the African Union has expired. On 24 January in fact Obasanjo’s place as AU President was taken Congo Brazzaville president Denis Sassou Nguesso. The African Union with the United Nations Organisation is in front line to mediate the Ivorian crisis, directly through the AU president and indirectly through South Africa its chosen official AU mediator nation. Obasanjo has the merit of convincing President Gbagbo to accept a prime minister pleasing to both the opposition and the rebels.
Since September 2002, the New Forces rebels have control of north east Côte d'Ivoire and they are against President Laurent Gbagbo. After various events a national unity government was formed whose ministers include members of the rebel group leadership. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 9/2/2006 righe 41 parole 508)
