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OpEdNews Op Eds    H2'ed 1/23/11

Ivory Coast: Testing Ground For U.S.-Backed African Standby Force

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A week later the Ivorian government announced it would take legal action at the International Court of Justice against French troops accused of killing what were then disclosed to be 60 civilians and the wounding of over 1,300 in Abidjan.

In what is a fascinating parallel with current events, then-French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie accused Belarus of being responsible for the deaths of the nine French troops killed earlier in the month, claiming "the assault had been a planned act carried out by Belarussian mercenaries who piloted two Sukhoi Su-25 planes." [15] The government of Belarus denied the charges.

The situation settled down in 2005 but in January of 2006 the ruling Ivorian Popular Front accused France and the so-called international community, which demanded the dissolution of the national parliament, of carrying out a "constitutional coup d'etat," pulled out of the putative unity government and ordered 10,000 French and UN troops present in the country to leave. President Gbagbo persisted in that demand to the end of the year.

In December the government foiled a coup attempt planned for the 17th "with the support of a military force present in Ivory Coast." [16]

On March 4, 2007 a new peace accord was signed by the government of President Gbagbo and the New Forces of Guillaume Soro, who then became prime minister.

Ivory Coast had been at peace until last month. In the election of October 31 of last year Gbagbo's Ivorian Popular Front received 1,756,504 votes, 38.04 percent of the total; Ouattara's Rally of the Republicans won 1,481,091, 32.07 per cent; and former president (1993-1999) Henri Konan Bà ©dià © 1,165,532, 25.24 per cent.

The election was monitored by the UN, whose envoy, Y. J. Choi, stated it was "peaceful and democratic, and that the results of the elections were determined through a fair and transparent process." [17]

The head of the ECOWAS Observer Mission for the election, Benin's Theodore Holo, said: "Our mission did not observe any major irregularities likely to taint the freedom, credibility and transparency of the 31st October 2010 presidential election in Cote d'Ivoire."

The mission "also found out that the voting process was smooth and in accordance with current standards, particularly in terms of collation and vote counting." [18]

With Gbagbo six percentage points ahead of Ouattara in the first round, it was likely that he would also win the November 28 runoff election, which is what the Ivory Coast's top court ruled happened.

That was not a result acceptable to the West.

In a recent article, Pierre Sanà ©, former Amnesty International Secretary General and former UNESCO Assistant Director General, warned:

"Africa nowadays is subjected to a struggle for power which, beyond the obvious ethnic and religious national divergences, essentially opposes two concepts of society, and which, in simple words, see leaders promoting global liberalism to others, who support a sovereign and socialist pan-Africanism. As we celebrate 50 years of independence, all Africans should mainly consider what is really at stake through today's events in CÃ ´te d'Ivoire. Gullibility after 50 years is unforgiveable!" [19]

He may have been alluding in part to recent threats like the following from State Department Spokesman Philip Crowley, the same who pledged U.S. efforts against Belarus:

"Nothing is preventing President Gbagbo from leaving Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). And as we've said, we don't know where he might go. But we believe at this point it's important for him to leave soon. And the opportunity for him to leave with a dignified exit is an opportunity that is...that window is closing fast." [20]

His words were matched by American actions. The State Department announced earlier this month that the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Treasury Department is taking punitive actions against Laurent Gbagbo, his wife and three of his senior advisers. Their property will be blocked and U.S. citizens are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with them.

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Rick Rozoff has been involved in anti-war and anti-interventionist work in various capacities for forty years. He lives in Chicago, Illinois. Is the manager of the Stop NATO international email list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato/
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