Opposition Leader of Cote d'Ivoire Urges President to Resign

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, December 22, 2002

Opposition Leader of Cote d'Ivoire Urges President to Resign

The opposition of Cote d'Ivoire has called on President Laurent Gbagbo to resign and make ways forfresh polls to end the worsening crisis, local media reported on Saturday.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

The opposition of Cote d'Ivoire has called on President Laurent Gbagbo to resign and make ways forfresh polls to end the worsening crisis, local media reported on Saturday.

Opposition leader Allasane Ouattara was quoted as telling reporters that Gbagbo was not elected democratically, but was put there by a military and paramilitary group.

"I think he should resign and let the people of Cote d'Ivoire to elect a president and if it is him, the we will support him," he said.

On Saturday, Ouattara, who sought refuge in the French embassy in the country's main city of Abidjan when the uprising started onSept. 19 and fled to Gabon, flew to France for talks with politicians on the crisis in his country.

As leader of the Rally of Republicans party, Ouattara is a former prime minister.

Meanwhile, French troops, who have a mandate to enforce a trucebetween the government troops and the rebels, forced the rebels tohalt their advance following brief clash with rebel fighters who had advanced southward after recapturing Bangolo, a key coffee town in the west.

France has dispatched more soldiers, armored vehicles, helicopters and boats in the world's biggest cocoa grower, increasing the number of the troops to between 2,300 and 2,500.

The rebellion turned into a full-scale coup attempt to oust President Gbagbo as well as added to ethnic, religious and political tensions between the north and the south of the country.

The situation had become more complicated over the past couple of weeks with emergency of two new rebels in the west, namely the Ivorian Popular Movement for the Great West and the Movement for Peace and Justice.

The two rebel groups are distinct from the Patriotic Movement of Cote d'Ivoire (MPCI), which seized control of the predominantly Muslim northern half of the country.

This means that the uprising have now engulfed the entire country with the activities of three insurgency groups. The MPCI has reiterated that it has no links with the new groups.

Peace talks in Togo brokered by west African mediators have deadlocked with the rebels demanding fresh elections and the government demanding that the rebels lay down their arms.

Questions?Comments? Click here

West African Leaders to Meet in Senegal on Cote d'Ivoire's Crisis

French Troops Evacuate more Foreigners in Cote d'Ivoire

Cote d'Ivoire Government Troops Enter Town Held by Rebels

Roh Moo-hyun Becomes New President of S.Korea ( 2 Messages)

US-Japan Missile Defense Cooperation Worries China ( 5 Messages)

China to Calculate GDP Using International Method ( 2 Messages)

Shanghai Chosen to Produce Home-designed Turbo Jets ( 4 Messages)

China, Myanmar Sign Economic, Technical Cooperation Agreement ( 2 Messages)