IVORY COAST: PRESIDENT GBAGBO IN TELEVISED ADDRESS URGES THOUSANDS OF YOUTHS PROTESTING OVER A PEACE ACCORD TO GO HOME AND REMAIN CALM

Record ID: 838304

  • Title: IVORY COAST: PRESIDENT GBAGBO IN TELEVISED ADDRESS URGES THOUSANDS OF YOUTHS PROTESTING OVER A PEACE ACCORD TO GO HOME AND REMAIN CALM
  • Date: 27th January 2003
  • Summary: (W5) ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (JANUARY 27, 2003) (REUTERS) WIDE OF STREETS AND BUILDINGS CLOSER SHOT OF STREETS AND BUILDINGS MV: MAN WITH BRIEFCASE WALKING IN STREET WS: DOZENS OF MILITANTS WALKING THROUGH STREET IN A GANG HAS: ANOTHER VIEW OF GANG OF MILITANTS WALKING THROUGH STREETS VARIOUS HIGH SHOTS OF GANGS OF YOUTHS WALKING THROUGH CITY (3 SHOTS) GV: BIRDS CIRCLING ABOVE CITY (U7) ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (JANUARY 27, 2003) (REUTERS) SV: CROWDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE AT THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE IN ABIDJAN WALKING PAST A HELICOPTER GUNSHIP WS/SLV: CROWDS CHEER AS IVORY COAST PRESIDENT LAURENT GBAGBO EXITS A MEETING HALL WHERE HE MET YOUNG PEOPLE (2 SHOTS) SCU: SOUNDBITE (French) ROGET D'AMOUR, YOUTH PROTESTER, SAYING: "We think that France is playing games with us. The Ivorian people are mature, a people grown-up and independent as opposed to what they want to make people believe. And nothing can be decided about Ivory Coast outside the country." VARIOUS OF CROWDS ON THE STREETS OUTSIDE THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE (3 SHOTS) SV: TWO MEN HOLDING UP A SIGN IN FRENCH THAT SAYS: "Gbagbo must rule an Ivorian people whose eyes are open." SV: SOLDIERS AT THE PRESIDENCY EXCHANGE GREETINGS WITH YOUTHS AND SAYING: "We're on the same side." SV: HONOUR GUARD CARRYING NATIONAL FLAG AT SUNSET LONG OF DEMONSTRATORS LEAVING THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE
  • Embargoed: 11th February 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST
  • City:
  • Country: Ivory Coast
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAD9KE0L5BH0WFU666BMVK019GO
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Ivory Coast's President Laurent Gbagbo, in an address on state television, urged thousands of youths protesting over a peace accord to go home and remain calm. Later, the youths went to the presidential palace for talks with Gbagbo.
    Gangs of youths, some swinging machetes, blocked streets in Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan and pulled foreigners from cars on Monday (January 27) in a third day of protests at a peace deal they say was imposed by former colonial power France.
    Early on, Gbagbo had been expected to address the West African country and explain why he had signed a power-sharing accord with rebels to end a war that has split the country.
    The war that blew up in Ivory Coast with a failed coup on September 19 has its roots in years of growing tension between Ivory Coast's many tribes and the immigrants who make up a quarter of the 16 million population.
    Hundreds have been killed in fighting and more than one million displaced.
    But in a brief television appearance, Gbagbo just appealed for calm. He did not give a date or time for the anxiously awaited address and state media said he would first consult youths, women and political parties.
    "I'm asking them (demonstrators) to go home. I'm asking all those who have taken to the streets to go home, and I'm asking them to go to work. Because the richness of our country is its work," said Gbagbo.
    As he spoke, protesters with painted faces blocked streets with logs and burning tyres in the commercial hub of some three million people, a day after thousands marched against the deal.
    Protesters attacked the French embassy, the French cultural centre and French businesses including Air France during two days of rioting.
    Members of Ivory Coast's large population of immigrants from neighbouring West African states were also targeted because they are accused of backing the rebels.
    Western diplomats said foreigners had been pulled from cars and roughed up in a search for French people or citizens of neighbouring African countries accused of backing the rebels.
    Embassies advised all foreigners to stay at home and many international flights to and from Abidjan were cancelled.
    Mobs returned to France's embassy and army base, throwing stones and burning car tyres. Security forces and French troops fired teargas and riot-control stun grenades to drive them off.
    On both sides of a front that roughly splits the rebel-held largely Muslim north from Gbagbo's heavily Christian south, the deal signed in Paris is generally seen as a victory for rebels holding at least half the country.
    African leaders, the European Union and United Nations gave their own stamp of approval on Sunday (January 26) to the deal agreed by Gbagbo, under which he has already named a new prime minister to set up a coalition government.
    But despite Gbagbo's appeals for calm, all the signs pointed to the protests spreading.
    Under the accord, Gbagbo has lost powers he won in bloody and disputed 2000 elections, though he will be allowed to keep his job until the next ballot in 2005. The rebels, who accuse Gbagbo of fanning discrimination in the once stable country, had demanded that he step down.
    France has committed a 2,500-strong force to protect some 20,000 citizens in Ivory Coast and stop the spiralling crisis.
    The youths met President Laurent Gbagbo on Monday (January 27) after 48 hours of violent youth protests against a peace deal that aims to end a civil war that has divided the country.
    The youths said they were protesting the terms of the peace deal, agreed in Paris over the weekend.
    "We think that France is playing games with us. The Ivorian people are mature, a people grown-up and independent as opposed to what they want to make people believe. And nothing can be decided about Ivory Coast outside the country,"
    said protester Roget D'Amour after meeting the President.
    The protesters said they explained their opposition to the peace deal to Gbagbo who in turn said he would meet other political and military groups before addressing the nation.
    Under the terms of the deal Gbagbo named a new Prime Minister, Seydou Diarra, with whom he will share power.
    Protesters said they were particularly angry about the reported nomination of rebels to ministerial posts such as defence and the interior.
    The main rebel group holds the northern half of the country while other rebel groups have taken territory in the west.
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