USA: Ivory Coast's U.N. envoy says Laurent Gbagbo is in his final days of power and will be taken alive

Record ID: 181692

  • Title: USA: Ivory Coast's U.N. envoy says Laurent Gbagbo is in his final days of power and will be taken alive
  • Date: 8th April 2011
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) IVORY COAST AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS, YOUSSOUFOU BAMBA, SAYING: "We can not give this luxury to Gbabgo, to be a martyr. He will be captured alive. He will be well and alive and respond before justice the crime he has committed." JOURNALISTS LISTENING NOTEPAD (SOUNDBITE) (English) IVORY COAST AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS, YOUSSOUFOU BAMBA, SAYING: "People are dying in the meantime, because the electricity has been cut in Abidjan, no water, the running water is cut, and there is a epidemic of cholera is going on. People are dying because of his stupidness." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) IVORY COAST AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS, YOUSSOUFOU BAMBA, SAYING: "Every option is open. We need to remove Mr. Gbagbo and to let Cote d'Ivoire get back to normalcy and to peace." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) IVORY COAST AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS, YOUSSOUFOU BAMBA, SAYING: "I think we are very close to get back to normalcy in this sector. Since as you know the San Pedro port has been secure, and as soon as the standoff in Abidjan will be over everything will get back to normal very, very soon, very quickly. Mr. Ouattara, the President, will of course will formally make an announcement in the coming days." REPORTERS ASKING: "Announcement of what?" BAMBA SAYING: "As you know there is a ban on cocoa exports. So for the sake of priorities of form, has to announce it, but I think we are very close." BAMBA SEATED IN CONFERENCE ROOM
  • Embargoed: 23rd April 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa, Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: International Relations,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAEUTLDP6LTRFCHCY4DGZHPYRA1
  • Story Text: The Ivory Coast and strongman Laurent Gbagbo are in their final days of conflict, said a U.N. envoy on Thursday (April 7).
    During a news conference at the Ivory Coast's U.N. mission in Manhattan, Ambassador Youssoufou Bamba told journalists, "As of today, the only remaining bastion of power of Mr. Gbagbo is a bunker located in his residence. Mr. Gbagbo, despite all the negotiations is still clinging to power, while the humanitarian situation in Abidjan and in the country is turning to dire disaster."
    Gbagbo is believed to be holed up in his personal residence amid fierce fighting between forces loyal to Gbagbo and forces loyal to presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara.
    Bamba reiterated his previous statements that Gbagbo's refusal to leave office has pushed the nation to the edge of war and genocide.
    "The international community should be aware of what is going on Cote d'Ivoire, what is preparing. I've said repeatedly. Mr. Gbagbo is leading us to another atrocity, like Rwanda, because he does not care about the well being of the Ivorian people, he's only purpose is his power," said Bamba, referring to the 1994 massacre of around 800,000 Rwandan Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
    Bamba insists Gbagbo will soon be driven out of power and will account for his crimes.
    "It's over. I will tell you the strategy. It is no more an obsession to take Mr. Gbagbo out. Sooner or later, he will be captured and brought to justice."
    He added that negotiations with Gbagbo are also over. He said Ouattara had given Gbagbo every opportunity to depart with dignity, but the long-serving Ivorian leader had refused.
    "There is no negotiation. To our knowledge, there is no negotiation, because we had negotiations two days ago, and Mr. Gbagbo reneged on his word. He said he never sent anyone to negotiate on his behalf. So what do you want to do again? So we have to take him out now, that's what I'm saying," he said.
    Bamba stressed that Gbagbo should be captured alive.
    "We can not give this luxury to Gbabgo, to be a martyr. He will be captured alive. He will be well and alive and respond before justice the crime he has committed," he said.
    Gbagbo has refused to cede power since a U.N.-certified election in November 2010 showed he lost to Ouattara. Since then, deadly fighting between forces loyal to both men has been waged in the streets, creating a humanitarian crisis.
    "People are dying in the meantime, because the electricity has been cut in Abidjan, no water, the running water is cut, and there is a epidemic of cholera is going on. People are dying because of his stupidness," said Bamba.
    "We need to remove Mr. Gbagbo and to let Cote d'Ivoire get back to normalcy and to peace," he added.
    Finally, the ambassador said Ouattara is expected to announce within days the end of a ban on exports of cocoa, of which the country is the world's leading producer.
    "I think we are very close to get back to normalcy in this sector," said Bamba. "Since as you know the San Pedro port has been secure, and as soon as the standoff in Abidjan will be over everything will get back to normal very, very soon, very quickly," he added.
    "Mr. Ouattara, the president, will ... formally make an announcement (about lifting the ban) in the coming days," he said.
    The export ban was imposed by Ouattara in January. That ban, combined with European Union sanctions and a crippled banking industry have brought the Ivorian cocoa industry to a virtual standstill in recent months. Dealers estimate that around 500,000 metric tons of cocoa is stuck in Ivory Coast.
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