ABIDJAN/ABUJA, (Reuters) – West African regional bloc ECOWAS recognised Alassane Ouattara as Ivory Coast’s president -elect yesterday after disputed elections, urging incumbent Laurent Gbagbo to accept defeat and step down.
But even before the 15-nation body issued its call, Gbagbo defied international demands for him to yield in the power struggle, naming a new cabinet even though Ouattara has already announced a parallel government.
After an emergency summit attended by regional heads of state in Nigeria, ECOWAS further increased pressure on Gbagbo by suspending Ivory Coast’s involvement in the group, which leads transport, finance and other projects.
Disagreement over the outcome of last month’s poll in the world’s top cocoa grower has raised the risk of renewed violence in a nation still divided in two by a 2002-3 war, prompting the United Nations to begin pulling out some staff.
Gbagbo was sworn in as president last week and appointed the new government, defying calls from the United Nations, the United States, France and others for him to accept provisional results of the Nov. 28 poll that made Ouattara the clear winner. “The heads of state and government recognised Mr Alassane Dramane Ouattara as president-elect of Ivory Coast,” ECOWAS leaders said in a communique issued after an emergency meeting in the Nigerian capital Abuja.
“The summit called on Mr Laurent Gbagbo to abide by the results of the second round of the presidential elections as certified by UNOCI (the U.N. mission in Ivory Coast) and to yield power without delay,” it said.
Gbagbo, who has kept control of the army and state television, has dismissed calls on him to quit as meddling and on Tuesday held a first cabinet meeting with his new government.
