astrid
23rd December 2010, 23:35
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-21/ivory-coast-on-brink-of-renewed-civil-war-un-secretary-general-ban-says.html
The political standoff and violence in Ivory Coast has pushed the world’s leading cocoa grower to the brink of civil war, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon said.
“There is a real risk of a return to civil war,” Ban told a meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York. “There has been an alarming increase in the use of intimidation by elements of the national forces loyal” to President Laurent Gbagbo.
Violence has broken out since Ivory Coast’s Electoral Commission declared Alassane Ouattara the winner over Gbagbo in the Nov. 28 presidential run-off election and the UN certified that result. Ouattara and Gbagbo, who claimed victory, both took the oath of office on Dec. 4 and confrontations have followed almost daily since then, leaving at least 50 people dead and 200 injured.
“The world community cannot stand by,” Ban said. “The international community must act, and act decisively.”
The political standoff and violence in Ivory Coast has pushed the world’s leading cocoa grower to the brink of civil war, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon said.
“There is a real risk of a return to civil war,” Ban told a meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York. “There has been an alarming increase in the use of intimidation by elements of the national forces loyal” to President Laurent Gbagbo.
Violence has broken out since Ivory Coast’s Electoral Commission declared Alassane Ouattara the winner over Gbagbo in the Nov. 28 presidential run-off election and the UN certified that result. Ouattara and Gbagbo, who claimed victory, both took the oath of office on Dec. 4 and confrontations have followed almost daily since then, leaving at least 50 people dead and 200 injured.
“The world community cannot stand by,” Ban said. “The international community must act, and act decisively.”