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africanews

The political impasse in the Ivory Coast exacerbated on Sunday after incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo and elected President Alassane Ouattara both named their PMs and cabinet ministers, spurning the mediation of former South Africa President Thambo Mbeki, who arrived in the West African country Sunday morning as special envoy of the African Union.

Ouattara, who was declared winner of the November 28 run-off with 54%, named former rebel chief and Gbagbo’s ex-prime minister Soro Guillaume as prime and defence minister.
Soro immediately formed a government composed of 13 ministers, and later told AFP he was ready to “kick Gbagbo off his seat if he refused to go.”

Gbagbo, whom the Constitutional Council adjudged winner after some votes from the rebel-held north were scrapped, in turn named a university vice chancellor Aké N’Gbo as his prime minister reiterating that he was “the man in charge.”

Mbeki’s mediation seemingly hit snag as no party was willing to cede, but the broker of Kenyan and Zimbabwean peace deals told a press conference on Monday that he would continue talks until midday before leaving to give a feedback to the AU.

Situation

Air, maritime and terrestrial borders were opened Monday morning after seven days of closure. The streets of the commercial capital Abidjan were busy with stores and banks open, but fear and uncertainty were visible on the faces of passers-by.

“Although we’re coming out to do little business, we’re afraid that something terrible is impending. The rebels and the loyalists will likely have a deadly clash in Abidjan,” Marc N’Dri, a 43-year-old school teacher told AfricaNews on Monday.

Local media reported that 15 people were killed in the south western town of Issia, in post-election violence. Hundreds of Ivorians have fled to neighbouring Liberia, according to reports. At least four people were killed in Abidjan over the weekend.

Foreign radio and TV stations have been shut down in Ivory Coast by the country’s media regulation council, after judging the media to report news in favour of Ouattara.

Interventions

French President Nicholas Sarkozy, who earlier congratulated Ouattara, on Monday renewed calls on Gbagbo to accept defeat and quit.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) announced it would hold a special summit focused on the Ivory Coast’s situation in Abuja on Tuesday.

The UN mission boss in Ivory Coast Youn-Jin Choi was quoted by AFP as telling Mbeki “I certified Ouattara’s victory after verifying all the ballots at the election commission and those that came to our offices.”