Ouattara takes charge of Cote d'Ivoire
IVORY Coast’s presidential claimant, Alassane Ouattara, has begun to take charge of the country, saying Laurent Gbagbo is now encircled and incapacitated.
IVORY Coast’s presidential claimant, Alassane Ouattara, has begun to take charge of the country, saying Laurent Gbagbo is now encircled and incapacitated.
Ouattara addressed his country on TV and appealed to the UN to lift sanctions to enable the government restore normal services.
Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara has called for an end to sanctions and sought to return the war-torn country to normal, despite a continuing military standoff with incumbent Laurent Gbagbo.
UN-backed Ouattara said his forces had blockaded Gbagbo in the presidential residence in Abidjan and he had asked the European Union to lift sanctions on the main ports of the world's top cocoa producer.
With Gbagbo refusing to step down, Ouat¬tara, who the UN says won a presidential election meant to draw a line under Ivory Coast’s 2002-3 civil war, took the first steps towards assuming executive powers in a televised address on Thursday.
He promised to restore security and utili¬ties, meet basic needs and pay salaries after five months of conflict which has killed thousands of people and left residents of what was once West Africa’s most prosperous country without food and water.
In New York, Ouattara’s UN envoy accused Gbagbo of arming his supporters all over the country but said Ouattara would soon announce an end to a ban on cocoa exports he imposed in January. Dealers say about 500,000 metric tons of cocoa is stuck in the country.
“I have asked that European Union sanc¬tions on the ports of Abidjan and San Pedro and certain public entities, be lifted,†Ouat¬tara said in a speech broadcast on French television. “I have also asked the central bank BCEAO to reopen its branches in Ivory Coast, to ensure a resumption of operations in all banks so as to enable the payment of salaries and arrears in the shortest possible time,†he said on television channel LCI.
Diplomatic and military efforts to oust Gbagbo this week have been met with fierce resistance and Ouattara said his residence had been sealed off to protect the area.
“As for the outgoing President Mr. Laurent Gbagbo, who has entrenched himself at the presidential residence in Cocody with heavy weapons and mercenaries, a blockade has been established around the perimeter to secure the inhabitants of the district," Ouat¬tara said.
Meanwhile, the EU is working on Ouat¬tara’s request to ease EU economic sanctions, the bloc’s executive said on Friday.
“We’ve received a request from President Ouattara to remove certain entities from the sanctions list,†a spokesman for the EU’s foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said.
“We are working on this in close consulta¬tion with President Ouattara, and hope to be able to begin easing the sanctions soon,†said the spokesman, who would not be drawn on which sanctions the EU was looking to remove, or the likely timescale.
REUTERS
Ouattara addressed his country on TV and appealed to the UN to lift sanctions to enable the government restore normal services.
Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara has called for an end to sanctions and sought to return the war-torn country to normal, despite a continuing military standoff with incumbent Laurent Gbagbo.
UN-backed Ouattara said his forces had blockaded Gbagbo in the presidential residence in Abidjan and he had asked the European Union to lift sanctions on the main ports of the world's top cocoa producer.
With Gbagbo refusing to step down, Ouat¬tara, who the UN says won a presidential election meant to draw a line under Ivory Coast’s 2002-3 civil war, took the first steps towards assuming executive powers in a televised address on Thursday.
He promised to restore security and utili¬ties, meet basic needs and pay salaries after five months of conflict which has killed thousands of people and left residents of what was once West Africa’s most prosperous country without food and water.
In New York, Ouattara’s UN envoy accused Gbagbo of arming his supporters all over the country but said Ouattara would soon announce an end to a ban on cocoa exports he imposed in January. Dealers say about 500,000 metric tons of cocoa is stuck in the country.
“I have asked that European Union sanc¬tions on the ports of Abidjan and San Pedro and certain public entities, be lifted,†Ouat¬tara said in a speech broadcast on French television. “I have also asked the central bank BCEAO to reopen its branches in Ivory Coast, to ensure a resumption of operations in all banks so as to enable the payment of salaries and arrears in the shortest possible time,†he said on television channel LCI.
Diplomatic and military efforts to oust Gbagbo this week have been met with fierce resistance and Ouattara said his residence had been sealed off to protect the area.
“As for the outgoing President Mr. Laurent Gbagbo, who has entrenched himself at the presidential residence in Cocody with heavy weapons and mercenaries, a blockade has been established around the perimeter to secure the inhabitants of the district," Ouat¬tara said.
Meanwhile, the EU is working on Ouat¬tara’s request to ease EU economic sanctions, the bloc’s executive said on Friday.
“We’ve received a request from President Ouattara to remove certain entities from the sanctions list,†a spokesman for the EU’s foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said.
“We are working on this in close consulta¬tion with President Ouattara, and hope to be able to begin easing the sanctions soon,†said the spokesman, who would not be drawn on which sanctions the EU was looking to remove, or the likely timescale.
REUTERS