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| Africa Subsaharan |
| 'AU must remove Gbagbo by force' |
| 2010-12-18 |
| [Iran Press TV] Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has called on the African Union to use force to remove Ivory Coast's incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo from power. Criticizing the 53-member bloc for doing very little to solve the ongoing political crisis in Ivory Coast, Odinga said on Friday that the AU must act more decisively even if this necessitates the use of military force, a Press TV correspondent reported. "Gbagbo must be forced, even if it means using military means to get rid of him, because now he is just relying on military power, not the people's power, to intimidate the people," Odinga told a news conference in Nairobi. "The AU must start taking seriously the situation in Ivory Coast instead of lamenting. Democracy must be preserved," the Kenyan prime minister added. The United Nations, aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society, European Union, the US and African states say opposition leader Alassane Ouattara won the November 28 election and have urged Gbagbo to step down. The incumbent president, who still has command of the army, is refusing to give up power. The EU has urged the Ivorian army to switch its loyalty from Gbagbo to Ouattara. Both men have declared themselves president and have named their cabinets. EU and US officials have also warned that if Gbagbo fails to stand down by "the end of the week," he will face travel and financial sanctions. At least 20 people have been killed during clashed between Ouattara's supporters and troops loyal to Gbagbo. Ouattara is currently holed up in a hotel guarded by UN peacekeepers, while Gbagbo is running his side of government from the presidential palace in the capital. |
| Posted by:Fred |