Defiant Ivory Coast leader Laurent Gbagbo ordered UN and French peacekeepers out of the country yesterday, accusing them of backing rebel fighters supporting his rival Alassane Ouattara.
The demand for their “immediate” departure reflects the growing anger of Gbagbo’s nationalist supporters, and came as his most notorious lieutenant urged young Ivorians to make ready to fight for their sovereignty.
The UN, US, EU and Ivory Coast’s west African neighbours all demanded that Gbagbo cede power to Ouattara after both men claimed to have won last month’s presidential election.
But the veteran strongman retains control of the official armed forces and his backers have vowed to fight on, turning their anger on UN peacekeepers, former colonial power France and Ouattara’s own Ivorian supporters.
“The president of the Republic of the Ivory Coast has just asked for the immediate departure from Ivorian territory of UNOCI and the French forces that support it,” Education Minister Jacqueline Lohoues-Oble said. As tension mounted between the two camps, Gbagbo’s supporters accused the United Nations 10,000-strong UNOCI peacekeeping force and France’s 900 troops in Ivory Coast of supporting pro-Ouattara rebel fighters.
The spokeswoman repeated these claims and said: “The Ivorian government considers that UNOCI has broadly failed in its mission in carrying out acts that are not in conformity with its mandate.”
“This means that the Ivorian government henceforth opposes renewal of the operation’s mandate, which expires on December 20, 2010,” she said, referring to the authority granted the mission by UN member states.
There was no immediate reaction from the UN to the demand, but UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has previously defended UNOCI’s work, called on Gbagbo to step down and vowed to protect Ouattara’s government.
France has said in recent days that its contingent, known as ‘Licorne’, could be used to ensure the safe departure of the 15,000 French civilians living in Ivory Coast if the situation turns dangerous.
The UNOCI mission deployed in 2004 to help end a civil war between Gbagbo’s southern forces and northern rebels dubbed the New Forces. The rebels now back Ouattara and Gbagbo’s order will increase fears of a new conflict.
“Play time is over,” declared Charles Ble Goude, Gbagbo’s minister for youth, who has been under UN sanctions since 2006 for “acts of violence by street militias, including beatings, rapes and extrajudicial killings”.
“We are going to defend the sovereignty of our country until the last drop of our sweat. I urge all Ivorians to make themselves ready for this combat. We are going to totally liberate our country,” he told.