Ouattara pledges to reunite Ivorians during his inauguration as president

Yamoussoukro, Saturday

Alassane Ouattara was inaugurated today as president of Cote d’Ivoire, which he hopes to reunite following a bloody crisis caused by his predecessor’s refusal to concede election defeat.

“The time has come to renew the founding values of our beautiful Cote d’Ivoire, and to reunite Ivorians,” he said at a ceremony attended by UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, President Nicolas Sarkozy of former colonial power France and African leaders.

“Let us celebrate peace, without which there can be no development,” said Ouattara, 69, who took the oath of office on May 6 — about four weeks after Laurent Gbagbo was captured for refusing to cede power following November elections.

The new president launched an appeal for the emergence of “a new Ivorian”, as the country “reconciles and reunites.”

A months-long conflict had pitted Ouattara against Gbagbo, who refused to leave office after his rival was declared the winner of November’s presidential poll.

Underground bunker

Nearly 3,000 people died in the violence that followed the vote, according to the new government, and tens of thousands fled into neighbouring countries.

Gbagbo was captured in an underground bunker in Abidjan on April 11 by forces loyal to Ouattara, backed by France and the United Nations.

“This day is an historic moment for us,” said Ouattara, hailing what he called “the victory of democracy”.

“It is a success for the Cote d’Ivoire and for Africa as a whole,” he said.

African Union and UN Security Council envoys, meeting in Addis Ababa, hailed Ouattara’s inauguration.

“Security Council members and members of the AU Peace and Security Council praised the inauguration of President Ouattara,” a statement said, calling for “vigilance, coordination and sustained commitment in the stabilisation and consolidation of peace”.

In handing out thanks, Ouattara singled out France, “with whom the Cote d’Ivoire shares historic ties and a common vision of the future”.

“Mister President Sarkozy, the Ivorian people thank you,” Ouattara said to loud applause, also thanking the United Nations.

Ouattara said he intended to form a “unity government”, and promised parliamentary elections before the end of the year.

Thousands of people sang and danced in a festive atmosphere around the site of the ceremony at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Foundation, named after Cote d’Ivoire’s founding president in whose cabinet Ouattara had been prime minister.

The festivities were closely guarded by members of Ouattara’s Republican Forces and UN peacekeepers.

Getting back to normal

Since Ouattara took over the country after Gbagbo’s arrest, Cote d’Ivoire has slowly started getting back to normal — public servants have recently gone back to work, schools have reopened, and economic activity has slowly resumed.

But the west African country is still marred by acts of violence, pillaging, and many citizens displaced or refugees.

The security situation has improved but remains fragile, mainly in the west where pro-Gbagbo Liberian mercenaries are accused of having killed more than 200 people at the beginning of May.

Police and military police have been slow to resume work in Abidjan, which remains under control of the Republican Forces.

Ouattara has promised that no crimes committed since November 28 will go unpunished, no matter who committed them.

He has asked the International Criminal Court, the world’s only permanent court with the jurisdiction to try war crimes and crimes against humanity, to investigate the most serious violations.

Violence broke out after the Ivorian Constitutional Council, led by a Gbagbo ally, on December 3 nullified results published by the country’s electoral commission, which had in November proclaimed Ouattara the winner with 54.1 per cent of the a run-off presidential election. (AFP)