In my view, pressure should be taken off the Ivory Coast. To diffuse
the tension – not by beating those war drums to whip up the frenzy,
but to try to bring some calm. This will help create the conditions in
which negotiations can take place. All who believe in ballot not
bullet and would like to avoid bloody tragedy & more suffering know
that even after a North - South civil war, people will have to live
together in some sort of harmony, not just be ruled by the force of
the conqueror.
It's not just a matter of modesty or super knowledge - "They were not
listening to us" "We told them" "We were telling them." - "I am right,
"– See how excited I am, my prophecies are true and the ominous things
I predicted are now coming to pass " etc.
One should refrain from boasting, but as far as I can see and I've
spoken with more neutral people who know the Ivory Coast very well,
first and foremost the allegations of election fraud in the North and
some of the same in the South, should be investigated – after which
Justice could be done and seen to be done. Certainly not by military
means or cheer-leading the strong against the weak ( We also know that
such a principle cannot be applied by the weak/ weaker against the
strong, even in Africa: our eminent senior citizen Wole Soyinka
stopped over in Stockholm ( I was upfront to exchange quite a few
words with him during his public lecture when he was on his world tour
campaign mission against Nigeria's military dictator Sani Abacha
( there have been others, other dictators) – but at no time was any
military option tabled (who by? Weak military entities like Sierra
Leone, Liberia and the Gambia wanting to send their barefoot military
contingents armed to the teeth with bows and arrows ( metaphorically
speaking) to unseat Abacha? General Bashir of the Sudan? Hosni
Mubarak?
(Idi Amin was unseated through an invasion orchestrated by Great
Britain (former colonial boss) and Sweden ( partner and ardent support
of Mwalimu Dr. Julius Kambarage Nyerere's Social programme Ujamaa
during the era of partnership Swedish- Tanzania partnership in what
some call the good old days of Olof Palme & Social Democracy ina
Sweden). Amin's Uganda was invaded through Tanzania. (In those days,
after Ethiopia, Tanzania was Sweden's favourite independent country in
Africa I know a number of Swedes (various levels) who still say that
they left their heart in Tanzania.)
Now, (layman still talking) I would say that the centre of gravity of
those who would like to resurrect the Old Mali Empire, is in Bamako
and that they can be counted upon along with Burkina Faso and Guinea -
three former French colonies, still part of the French/ Francophone
sphere of influence - three core states that would like to resurrect
the Old Mali Empire and perhaps would like to do battle/ Jihad to
ensure that their man Ouattara is seated. I notice a greater
resistance to the idea, among the ex-British colonies and so we have
Uganda's Museveni taking this pragmatic and very rational approach of
"President Museveni has described as "simplistic" the UN's recognition
of Alassane Outtara as winner of Ivory Coast's disputed presidential
ballot and instead called for an independent investigation."
: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1095238/-/cipjrlz/-/
More on this : South Africa is taking the same stand:
A cursory look at the Ivory Coast's demography could confirm that
there are more Muslims than Christians in the country, and that
"animists" Juju mongers and traditional African religionist in
between, Outtara's mainly Muslim North (depending on how you define
the North) is more populous than the Gbagbo's more Christian South -
and that ethnicity & religion are factors that help even Ivorian
nationalists determine how to cast their ballots….
This religion factor could also be inherent in the thoughts of JIHAD
which is endemic in both some of the folks in the Ivory Coast and some
of the people outside of the Ivory Coast, such as the Mandinka
warriors who on purely religious and ethnic grounds have every reason
to sympathise with their brother Outtara.(One of my neighbours Idrissa
is Jola like Outtara)
Some of my best friends are Mandinka and Jola I could think of voting
for some of them in an election in the Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina
Faso, just as I could think of voting for my Wolof Brothers and
sisters, if I were a citizen of their country. I remain both peaceful
and unbiased.
On Jan 25, 11:22 pm, "Abdul Bangura" <th...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> This Gbagbo war criminal is really spoiling for a war. He will get it.
> Ouattara-backed Ivory Coast envoy seizes Paris post
> Tue Jan 25, 2011 3:35pm GMT
>
> PARIS (Reuters) - Supporters of Ivory Coast's Alassane Ouattara had to break through the main gates of the country's embassy in Paris on Tuesday into order to install the presidential claimant's choice as ambassador to France.
> Ouattara is locked in a power struggle with Laurent Gbagbo, after being declared winner of a November 28 election by United Nations-certified results before they were overturned by a pro-Gbagbo legal body, which alleged fraud.
> About 50 Ouattara supporters cheered outside the embassy in western Paris as Ally Coulibaly entered the building, which had been vacated by Gbagbo's staff at the end of December.
> French Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said at the time France would accredit a new ambassador at the request of Ouattara's government, which it recognises as the winner of the contested election.
> "We were forced to break through the entrance, but I am here and happy to exercise the functions I was mandated to do by President Ouattara," Coulibaly told Reuters TV.
> � Thomson Reuters 2011 All rights reserved
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