UN urged to play its role in Abidjan

The UN has been urged to toughen the mandate of its peacekeepers in Ivory Coast and apply harsh sanctions to the inner circle of Laurent Gbagbo.

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Abuja - Ivory Coast's neighbours urged the United Nations on Thursday to toughen the mandate of its 12 000 peacekeepers there and apply harsh sanctions on the inner circle of incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo.

The move added to pressure on the world body to do more to end a violent post-election stand-off in the top cocoa producer that has already claimed hundreds of lives and is veering toward all-out civil war. France earlier urged a tougher UN role.

Gbagbo claimed victory in a disputed November election despite UN-certified results showing that he lost to his rival Alassane Ouattara. Gbagbo says those results were rigged.

Yet African states, the United States and the European Union have all recognised Ouattara as winner and the Ecowas regional bloc has repeatedly said force may be needed to remove Gbagbo.

“(Ecowas) requests the UN Security Council to strengthen the mandate of the UN operation in Ivory Coast enabling the mission to use all necessary means to protect life and property and to facilitate the immediate transfer of power to Mr Alassane Ouattara,” a communique issued after a summit said.

“(It) also requests the UN Security Council to adopt more stringent international targeted sanctions against Mr Laurent Gbagbo and his associates,” said the statement after talks in the Nigerian capital Abuja.

It did not spell out what moves it expected but UN measures typically include assets freezes and travel bans. Gbagbo and his senior officials are subject to a range of EU and US sanctions aimed at cutting off his access to funds.

The UN Security Council was due to meet on Friday to discuss Ivory Coast and possible sanctions against Gbagbo.

They echoed earlier calls by ex-colonial ruler France, which has troops in the country but has ruled out intervening itself.

“I think it (the UN mission) should play its role more efficiently because it has a mandate that allows it to use force,” Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told France 2 television.

UN diplomats and Ivory Coast's pro-Ouattara UN envoy have also called for a more robust UN role. However, UN officials say there are limits to what more the force can do.

The African Union reaffirmed its recognition of Ouattara as president this month after weeks of mediation.

“It seems to me the two parties were waiting for an African Union decision before really going to a civil war,” AU President Jean Ping told reporters in Paris, adding that a military intervention might be the only way out.

“I'm afraid if there is no possibility of peaceful solution and then force might intervene,” he said. - Reuters

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/un-urged-to-play-its-role-in-abidjan-1.1046919

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