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East/Subsaharan Africa
French Peace Plan For Ivory Coast Invalid: Report
2003-01-28
A French-backed peace deal to end Ivory Coast’s four-month conflict is invalid because it panders to rebels, a newspaper close to the ruling party of President Laurent Gbagbo said Tuesday, January 28.
So why'd you sign it?
The report followed comments by Gbagbo that the accord he agreed to in Paris -- which provides for a unity government with rebels holding the defense and interior portfolios - were just “propositions,” Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
Hmmm... A Frenchie formula for staying in business: give the defense and interior portfolios to the bad guys. Yup. That'll work. Not very well, but it'll work...
“Total failure! The accord is inapplicable,” said the Notre Voie daily, close to the ruling Ivorian Popular Front ruling party. It accused France of “offering” its former star colony in west Africa to rebels and accused Paris of “not wanting peace in Ivory Coast.”
I'd say they're right on that first charge. The second could probably be better worded as "don't give a merde" about peace in Ivory Coast...
“Without openly backing the rebellion, France has hatched a plan to remove the democratically elected president,” it said. The daily also defended massive, often violent anti-French protests that have rocked the main city of Abidjan since Saturday, January 25, with attacks on French symbols and institutions including the embassy, schools, the Air France office and businesses. “Ivorians should remain mobilized,” it said, adding that “only struggle pays.” And in a more directly inflammatory tone, it called 2003 “the year of resistance,” adding: “Ivorians know what they need to do ... remain in the streets.”
I'd say they don't like the agreement. Is that egg on the Frenchies' faces? And take a look at the sign that guy's holding! And the flag that's not on fire. We were wondering which side we were on a couple days ago...
Posted by:Fred Pruitt

#4  The thing is, I can't figure out who the bad guys are. I read this as a bunch of folks all wanting power and not willing to work together. Typical Balkan mess. Glad it's the French and not us. We had Rangers in there last year for a short time.
Posted by: Chuck   2003-01-28 15:42:41  

#3  I don't remember whether the French criticized the US when we considered supporthing the Venezualan coup to overthrow Chavez, but there were many loud critics. I don't hear anybody (except here) criticizing the French for actually using troops to do the same thing. I'd say we ought to help em out, we should take the chance to make some new friends.
Posted by: B. Ralphie   2003-01-28 15:16:51  

#2  I would tell them that we would like to help them achieve their goals, but we first have to work down our backlog. Maybe they can help us in the meantime on our WOT.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2003-01-28 10:50:12  

#1  From the Guardian:
Thousands of government loyalists surrounded the U.S Embassy in Ivory Coast Tuesday to demand that Washington oppose a peace deal they say concedes too much to rebel forces. Waving U.S. flags, the 6,000 people appealed to Washington to block the French-brokered power-sharing accord with rebels who control about half of Ivory Coast, once the economic engine of West Africa. Cheering crowds mobbed the car of a few Americans who ventured out, chanting, ``U.S.A.! U.S.A.!'' and pleading for American support. Heavily armed U.S. soldiers looked on. Organizers passed out lyrics of the ``Star-Spangled Banner'' for the crowd to sing. One protester carried a sign that read, ``Our freedom is in your hands, U.S.A.''
Save us from French opression!
The U.S. State Department already has said it supports the accord and has urged both sides to comply with it. That stance appears not to have sunk in with the loyalists.
Save them from the State Department!
Posted by: Steve   2003-01-28 10:18:08  

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