IVORY COAST: South Africa's Zuma mobbed by angry Ivorian crowd

Record ID: 181561

  • Title: IVORY COAST: South Africa's Zuma mobbed by angry Ivorian crowd
  • Date: 23rd February 2011
  • Summary: GOLF HOTEL, ABIDJAN, IVORY-COAST (FEBRUARY 22, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SOUTH AFRICAN POLICEMEN PROTECTING SOUTH AFRICA PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA FROM PRO-OUATTARA SUPPORTERS AFRICAN PRESIDENTS SEATED IN MEETING ROOM AFRICAN UNION PRESIDENT JEAN PING SEATED JACOB ZUMA SEATED MAURITANIA PRESIDENT MOHAMED OULD ABDEL AZIZ ALASSANE OUATTARA SEATED WIDE OF MEETsING ROOM VARIOUS OF AFRICAN PRESIDENTS OUTSIDE VARIOUS OF SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE VARIOUS OF RHDP (PRO OUATTARA) PROTESTERS CHANTING IN FRENCH: '' ZUMA ZUMA ZUMA TELL THE TRUTH'' RHDP SUPPORTER HOLDING BANNER READING: "ADO (ALASSANE DRAMANE OUATTARA) WAS ELECTED BECAUSE GOD DECIDED IT''
  • Embargoed: 10th March 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Cote d'Ivoire
  • Country: Ivory Coast
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAVT9HYVRXEG0B81NHMKKGBZ7B
  • Story Text: African presidents trying to solve Ivory Coast's arrive in Abidjan and meet presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara.
    African presidents trying to end Ivory Coast's crisis met presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara on Tuesday (February 22), but the South African leader was mobbed by angry pro-Ouattara youths, underlining the challenge they face.
    More than two dozen pro-Ouattara youths surrounded Zuma's car as he pulled into the hotel and South African security forces had to physically stop them pushing towards him.
    "Zuma, Zuma, tell the truth," the youths shouted.
    The panel of presidents from South Africa, Chad, Mauritania and Tanzania met Ouattara in the lagoon-side Golf Hotel, where he is guarded by U.N. troops and besieged by Ivorian military checkpoints, a day after meeting his rival, Laurent Gbagbo.
    Having refused to step down despite U.N.-certified results showing he lost a Nov. 28 poll, Gbagbo has defied Western sanctions and international isolation that are ruining the economy. He has used the military to crush dissent.
    The election was meant to bring stability after a 2002-3 war and subsequent years of economic stagnation. It has instead deepened divisions and raised the spectre of renewed conflict.
    The African Union officially recognises Ouattara's victory, but is divided between nations with a tough line on Gbagbo, especially West African ones like Nigeria, and a handful which like South Africa do not unequivocally back his rival's win.
    South Africa has tentatively backed Gbagbo's call for a recount of the U.N.-certified poll.
    West Africa's regional body ECOWAS earlier said it was unable to join an African Union mission to mediate in Ivory Coast's power struggle due to threats of violence against it by pro-Gbagbo supporters.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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