- Title: IVORY COAST: Ivory Coast leader rebuffs West Africa peace moves
- Date: 28th September 2005
- Summary: (BN10) ABIDJAN, IVORY-COAST (SEPTEMBER 27, 2005)(REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) IVORY-COAST PRESIDENT LAURENT GBAGBO STANDING NEXT TO IVORY COAST FLAG
- Embargoed: 13th October 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: War / Fighting
- Reuters ID: LVA8U2KJCK3GJ55NV737OS2WB4GT
- Story Text: Ivory Coast's President Laurent Gbagbo on Tuesday (September 27) slammed West African leaders trying to revive a faltering peace process for his country and said some of them were trying to divide and plunder the world's top cocoa grower. His comments came three days ahead of a planned Sept. 30 summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Nigeria, which Gbagbo's aides have said he will not attend. "Some of the ECOWAS countries are heavily involved in the rebellion. Ivory Coast will never accept these countries deciding its fate while they are both judges and players," he said in a state television broadcast. "The riches of my country -- coffee, cocoa, diamonds, gold, timber and cotton -- are looted on a daily basis to the benefit of some countries in the region which have become exporters of wealth they do not produce," he said. Gbagbo has said he will not accept any decisions taken by the regional bloc at Friday's meeting. Ivory Coast plunged into civil war three years ago after a failed coup against Gbagbo. Rebels hold the northern half of the country and a string of peace deals have collapsed. The government has accused northern neighbours Burkina Faso and Mali -- both ECOWAS members and poorer than Ivory Coast -- of backing the rebels. Presidential elections in the former French colony, once a beacon of stability and prosperity in West Africa, were initially scheduled for Oct. 30 but are now certain not to take place on that date. Further dispelling any hopes of prompt polls, Gbagbo said it was clear the elections could not take place next month because the rebels had not disarmed. "If disarmament took place today, the elections could be held within a maximum of three months," Gbagbo said. The ECOWAS meeting, which will be chaired by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, is due to come up with new proposals to revive the peace process after mediation efforts by South African President Thabo Mbeki stalled. The rebels accused Mbeki of siding with Gbagbo and want ECOWAS to take a bigger role in peace initiatives. Gbagbo said Mbeki was a "very good choice" as a mediator.
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