UN General Assembly accepts credentials of new envoy from Cote d'Ivoire

The UN General Assembly on Thursday unanimously accepted the credentials of a new UN ambassador of Cote d'Ivoire, dispatched by Alassane Ouattara who is the internationally recognized winner of the Nov. 28 presidential elections in the West African country.

The 192-member General Assembly made the decision by consensus after heated debates over a report by the UN body's Credentials Committee, a diplomat close to the Assembly meeting told Xinhua.

The new UN move represents an indirect recognition of Ouattara as the winner of the presidential elections, the diplomat said.

The new UN ambassador is Youssouf Bamba, who will replace Alcide Djedje, the UN ambassador of incumbent Laurent Gbagbo, to represent Cote d'Ivoire at the 65th General Assembly session. Djedji has already left New York for home, diplomatic sources told Xinhua.

The General Assembly took the action "at the strong recommendations" of the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union, which already recognized Ouattara as the new president of Cote d'Ivoire and repeatedly asked Gbagbo to step down.

After the presidential run-off, both Ouattara and Gbagbo were sworn in as the president of Cote d'Ivoire.

Gbagbo did not heed the international request and stayed on power, leading to a political standoff, in which at least 173 people were killed and the West African country was put at the real risk of a civil war.

Cote d'Ivoire was divided after the country's 2002-2003 civil war.

Source: Xinhua