AU’s Ping in Cote d’Ivoire for talks to end dispute over poll results

ABIJAN

African Union Commission chairman Jean Ping is in Abidjan for talks with Mr Laurent Gbagbo and the opposition leader, Mr Alassane Ouattara.

Each of the two politicians claims to have won the November 28 Ivorian run-off election.

Mr Ping’s mediation follows deadly clashes on Thursday between rival camps over efforts by the opposition to seize the State television headquarters. The violence left at least 20 dead, including 10 policemen, according to Gbagbo’s camp.

The opposition put the figure at 30. Abidjan remained tense yesterday, amid reports of heavy gunfire in Abobo, a stronghold of Mr Ouattara.

Both vehicular and human traffic remained low on the streets, with shops remaining closed.

Mr Ouattara’s Prime Minister, Mr Guillaume Soro, on Friday called aghain for the takeover of the State TV station and and the PM offices.
Armed security personnel

By noon, there was heavy presence of armed security personnel across Abidjan, but no major incident was reported.

Sources said access to the opposition’s luxury hotel headquarters was blocked by forces loyal to Mr Gbagbo, a few kilometres from the area secured by UN peacekeepers and former New Forces rebels.

On Friday, only five out of the 15 Ivorian daily newspapers were available on sale. According to the online edition of the pro-Ouattara newspaper Le Patriote, chief of Republican Guard Dogbo Ble sent his men to media houses on Thursday night to order them not to print opposition newspapers.

Le Patriote further said that the soldiers also went to the only newspaper distributor of the country Edipresse so that “rebel” publications do no reach kiosks.

A source at a media house said after soldiers’ move, they decided not to print all the newspapers, including pro-Gbagbo ones. No official source could comment on the ban.

Foreign TV and radio channels have been banned from broadcasting in Cote d’Ivoire by the State media regulatory body since December 2.

The opposition, which has no access to the State-owned electronic media, opened its own radio station on December 12 despite calls from the regulatory body to close.

At the same time, international pressure was mounting on Friday on Mr Gbagbo after his forces launched a crackdown on supporters of his rival. Washington, Paris and the European Union demanded Mr Gbagbo to quickly hand over power to Mr Alassane Ouattara.

“People are scared to come out because there were victims on Friday. The fear is still there,” said Moussa Camara, a militant from Ouattara’s RHDP, guarding his party headquarters.

At a Brussels meeting of the EU, France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy said Mr Gbagbo must go “before the end of the week” to avoid being added to a list of Ivorians being targeted by EU visa bans and asset seizures.

The European leaders also urged Ivorian military and civilian leaders to side with “democratically elected” Ouattara. The union’s chief diplomat, Ms Catherine Ashton, piled on the pressure, blaming the violence on Gbagbo’s camp — those “who prevent a rapid and peaceful transfer of powers to the president-elect Alassane Ouattara”.

The UN Security Council warned on Thursday that anyone who attacks civilians will face action under international humanitarian law, and a senior US official predicted that Mr Gbagbo would soon back down.

“He’s got a decision to make and he’s got a limited amount of time to make it,” the Washington official told reporters on condition of anonymity. Mr Gbagbo’s loyal State media and some of his lieutenants remain defiant, making wild claims that France and UN peacekeepers are arming pro-Ouattara northern rebel fighters.

Additional reporting by AFP