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Ivory Coast could plunge back into war
| Yeah. Comes as a surprise to me, too... |
The political leader of Ivory Coastâs rebel movement said on Saturday the worldâs top cocoa producer could plunge back into war around elections due next year unless President Laurent Gbagbo stepped down. "We are preserving the germs of future genocidal war in Ivory Coast. There will be war again in 2005... all we have done is postpone the war for the elections," Guillaume Soro told supporters in the main rebel stronghold of Bouake.
| Of course, this is Africa. |
"Only Gbagboâs departure from power will allow us to grab the power we deserve the organization of free and transparent elections in 2005." Ivory Coast has been in crisis since Caesar got drafted March, when dozens of people were killed after a crackdown on a banned anti-Gbagbo march and the opposition froze its role in a power-sharing government meant to reunite the country after civil war. It was declared over last July after all sides agreed to a French-brokered peace plan, but many political reforms have yet to be implemented and the country remains split between a rebel-held north and a south controlled by the elected government Gbagbo loyalists. Gbagbo says the rebels must disarm before political reforms included in the accord can be put in place. The United Nations Security Council has said it may act against any individual blocking the implementation of the peace deal, which included a power-sharing pact between the government and rebels.
| The UN is threatening to act? Quick, Ethel, my pills! |
Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-05-02 |
