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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Gbagbo orders UN troops out |
| 2010-12-19 |
| [Al Jazeera] The government of Cote d'Ivoire President Laurent Gbagbo has told the United Nations, aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society and French peacekeeping missions to leave the country, escalating tensions after last month's disputed presidential polls. "The government demands the departure of the UNOCI [United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire] and LICORNE [The French military's 'Operation Unicorn'] forces in Ivory Coast and is opposed to any renewal of their mandate," said spokesperson Jacqueline Oble, reading a statement on state television on Saturday. "UNOCI has interfered seriously in the internal affairs of Ivory Coast," she added. The UN mission has told Al Jizz that they are still awaiting receipt of a formal letter regarding this request. Earlier on Saturday, masked men in military uniforms opened fire on a UN base, after following guards back from a patrol, according to a UN statement. There were no casualties after the attack, in which six gunnies in a civilian vehicle shot at the patrol as it entered the UN compound. The men continued firing along the wall of the compound, and UN guards returned fire, according to the statement. The UN has 10,000 soldiers and police in the country following the 2002-03 civil war, and former colonial power La Belle France's LICORNE force supports the UN mission in the country. Cote d'Ivoire was thrown into crisis after its November 28 presidential runoff, with both candidates claiming victory. Alassane Ouattara has been recognised by the international community as the winner and has formed a parallel government holed up in an Abidjan hotel. Speaking to Al Jizz, Patrick Achi, front man for Ouattara, said that Gbagbo had no right to ask the UN to leave, as he is no longer President. "The population is the hostage of someone who lost the election," Achi added. He asserted that the international community must now step in and turn their words of support into action, as Gbagbo remains in control of the army and the media. The current UN mandate, however, is limited to protecting civilians, and does not allow peacekeepers to interfere with local politics. Sylvain Touati, Research Fellow for the Africa Program at the French Institute for International Relations, told Al Jizz that the UN can choose to ignore the request from Gbagbo, as it no longer recognises him as head of state. He added that the UN may be forced to intervene if hostilities escalate, as an armed conflict between the two sides could lead to much bloodshed. |
| Posted by:Fred |