Freedom House Welcomes Intervention in Côte d’Ivoire, Renews Call for Gbagbo to Leave
Washington
Freedom House commends the actions by the United Nations and France intended to bring the deadly political standoff in Côte d’Ivoire to a close and again calls upon Laurent Gbagbo to step down without further use of force.
On Monday, UN peacekeepers in Côte d’Ivoire joined French troops in bombarding Gbagbo’s weapons arsenal in order to prevent further attacks on civilians. The threat to Ivorian citizens has become grave in recent days as forces supporting Ouattara have quickly advanced on an increasingly desperate Gbagbo. For several days, the presidential palace has been surrounded, with Gbagbo and his family trapped in an underground bunker. There have been conflicting reports about negotiations for his surrender. On Tuesday, as many as 800 civilians were slaughtered in the town of Duekoue. The killings reportedly occurred as Ouattara’s forces were wresting control of the town. Ouattara has denied that his forces were responsible for the massacre and welcomed an international investigation.
“The primary victims in this standoff have been the people of Côte d’Ivoire. It was the right decision for the international community to intervene to prevent further violence and we welcome the leadership by the UN and France,” said David J. Kramer, executive director of Freedom House. “Freedom House urges both sides to refrain from any further violence against civilians and for Mr. Gbagbo to exit the scene, thereby allowing Alassane Ouattara to take his position as the democratically elected president and for calm to return to Côte d’Ivoire.”
In addition to the many who have been killed and injured during the crisis, as many as 100,000 have fled the country and a reported one million have fled their homes to escape the violence. The standoff has inflicted enormous damage on the country’s economy. The majority of banks have been closed for months and Gbagbo seized control of many of the country’s major assets, including the lucrative cocoa industry, in order to finance his illegitimate government. The African Union attempted to resolve the crisis through intense diplomatic pressure but stopped short of agreeing to a military intervention.
“Laurent Gbagbo’s refusal to go peacefully at this point serves no other purpose than to prolong the agony for the millions of Ivorians who simply want to get back to their lives,” continued Kramer.
Côte d’Ivoire is ranked Not Free in Freedom in the World 2011, Freedom House's survey of political rights and civil liberties, and Not Free in Freedom of the Press 2010.
For more information on Côte d’Ivoire, visit:
Freedom House is an independent watchdog organization that supports democratic change, monitors the status of freedom around the world, and advocates for democracy and human rights.
Join us on Facebook and Twitter (freedomhousedc) and stay up to date with Freedom House’s latest news and events by signing up for our RSS feeds.
Regions: