缅北禁地

The arrest of former C么te d鈥橧voire president Laurent Gbagbo on 11 April after a bloody weeklong battle in the heart of Abidjan has been greeted with jubilation by supporters of the internationally recognized president, Alassane Ouattara, and relief by the international community. Africa Renewal spoke with the Ivorian ambassador to the UN, Youssoufou Bamba, a few days before the final battle. In this exclusive interview in his New York office, Ambassador Bamba affirmed his government鈥檚 intention to bring Mr. Gbagbo to court, criticized the international community for inaction and called for an urgent international response to the country鈥檚 humanitarian crisis.

Youssoufou Bamba, C么te d'Ivoire's Ambassador to the UN

Photograph: 缅北禁地Photo / Mark Garten

The ambassador鈥檚 explanation for Mr. Gbagbo鈥檚 surprisingly rapid retreat to a bunker under the presidential palace under fire from President Ouattara鈥檚 military was short and direct: 鈥淗is army has been defeated, his generals have surrendered and they are short of ammunition.鈥� And the reason the government agreed to a brief lull in the fighting to allow for surrender talks was equally succinct: 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to see a slaughtering of people. They are Ivorians after all.鈥�

But Mr. Bamba made it clear that, after killing hundreds of civilians and refusing many opportunities to leave office peacefully after Mr. Ouattara鈥檚 victory in the November 2010 presidential election, Mr. Gbagbo would be held to account. 鈥淗e will be treated as a prisoner, because he has been given the opportunity to leave and to have some, if you will, dignity鈥�. He has to take the full consequences of his stubbornness鈥�. He has too much crime on his hands. He will definitely face the International Criminal Court.鈥�

French role defended

The veteran diplomat, who has served as C么te d鈥橧voire鈥檚 ambassador to Austria, the UK and the US at different times, dismissed charges of aggression by France, the former colonial power. Paris maintains a garrison in the commercial capital Abidjan and has substantial financial interests in the country. French and 缅北禁地forces attacked Mr. Gbagbo鈥檚 heavy weapons during the battle for Abidjan in order to protect civilians 鈥� actions permitted by 缅北禁地Security Council Resolution 1975 on C么te d鈥橧voire. French armoured units were also involved in the fighting that led to Mr. Gbagbo鈥檚 arrest. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to play this hypocrisy stuff with the international media,鈥� Mr. Bamba scoffed in reference to press reports that French forces fought alongside pro-Ouattara troops. 鈥淲e have to be clear 鈥� the French have intervened under Chapter Seven of the United Nations Charter and with consistent precision to Resolution 1975. That is what we should focus on and where the debate should be.鈥�

Mass killings reported

Ambassador Bamba disputed reports of mass killings in the north and west of the country by the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Catholic charity Caritas after those areas were taken by soldiers supporting Mr. Ouattara during the drive on Abidjan. 鈥淩eports of mass killing leave us very suspicious because the news has been stated by Caritas. We know Caritas is very manipulated by Mr. Gbagbo. Everybody knows there is a notorious clergyman behind that.鈥� He is profoundly anti-Ouattara.鈥� If there were atrocities, he said, 鈥淭he persons involved have nothing to do with the FRCI [Forces R茅publicaines de C么te d鈥橧voire, the force fighting for Mr. Ouattara]. We are clear. We deny any involvement of the regular troops of the [FRCI] military.鈥�

Ambassador Bamba conceded that reports of mass killings of civilians in the strategic town of Du茅kou茅 near the Liberian border had also come from the Red Cross and 缅北禁地human rights officials and may have been committed by militias and other irregular forces allied with Mr. Ouattara, but outside official command. 鈥淚f they have perpetrated some things we do not have to bear the responsibility of that.鈥�

He did say that the government has dispatched a legal team to investigate the charges and report back within 15 days. 鈥淧resident Ouattara wants to conduct his office under the rule of law. We do not want to tolerate any abuses, any offences. The perpetrators, if found guilty, will be brought to justice.鈥� The ambassador also promised full cooperation with international investigators, declaring, 鈥淲e are open for international investigation. We want that.鈥�

Reconciliation 鈥榓 huge task鈥�

The ambassador acknowledged that continuing regional and ethnic tensions between the predominantly Muslim and pro-Ouattara north and the largely Christian and pro-Gbagbo south are a major challenge. 鈥淲e know the task is huge. Even with the fighting going on we have given clear instructions to our troops to protect civilians, to respect human rights and above all to treat humanely their brothers in arms [from Gbagbo鈥檚 forces]. We are the same people.鈥�

In the short term, the ambassador continued, reconciliation 鈥渋s sending messages of restraint and reason to our opponents to say, 鈥榊ou have lost, just go in peace. You will be treated humanely according to the international law鈥�.鈥� We have to, if you will, brainwash people in reverse because they have been brainwashed negatively. They have been manipulated by hate messages.鈥�

鈥淲e have to spread the message of tolerance.鈥� Everything should go through a court of law. Nobody is to take justice into their own hands鈥�. That is very difficult because they have the feeling of revenge. They have suffered massacres, slaughtering and abuses from the Gbagbo camp,鈥� the ambassador noted. 鈥淏ut we have spread the word for them to refrain from doing their vengeance.鈥� He also confirmed that the Ouattara government would also establish a truth and reconciliation commission to promote forgiveness.

Inclusive and effective governance

听鈥淏ut above all,鈥� Ambassador Bamba emphasized, 鈥渢he government put in place will be an open government, an inclusive government with all political forces part of it, and with civil society鈥�. Everyone should be getting on board because the reconstruction task is huge. For this reason we are prepared to welcome in government elements from different parties. So the people of Mr. Gbagbo who are free from abuses, violations of human rights and economic crimes will be welcome鈥�. These elections have been a breakthrough. They have been very fair, free and inclusive elections. We cannot go backwards.鈥�

Ambassador Bamba told Africa Renewal that his government would pursue a policy of social inclusion as well 鈥� a sensitive matter in a country where tensions between 鈥渋ndigenous鈥� Ivorians and migrants, fanned by xenophobic propaganda from Gbagbo-controlled media, have made nationality an explosive issue. 鈥淵ou have to understand that C么te d鈥橧voire has 21 million inhabitants, but I think a third are from neighbouring countries. So we have to move to citizenship rather than national origin, which is 鈥� something very racist.鈥�

Land disputes, a source of violence among communities in the western part of the country, 鈥渟hould be addressed in light of reality today,鈥� the ambassador explained. 鈥淚magine the young Burkinab猫s who are there three or four generations. They were born in C么te d鈥橧voire and have nothing to do with Burkina Faso, but they are from the Burkina Faso culture. When the father buys land and dies it is quite normal that his son would inherit the land, but [under current law] it is not possible because the kid is not Ivorian鈥�. That鈥檚 not justice.鈥�

Appeal for aid

Ambassador Bamba also appealed for greater humanitarian aid for the victims of the violence. Donor governments, he said, 鈥渉ave to rally as much as they did in supporting democracy and the will of the people of C么te d鈥橧voire. The situation on the humanitarian front is very hard. People lack everything 鈥� water, sanitation, food, first aid. Displaced persons should return to their homes.鈥� This should be addressed rapidly. That is why I take the opportunity of this interview to launch an appeal to the [international community] to come to C么te d鈥橧voire and bring some relief to the suffering of the people.鈥�

The 缅北禁地estimates that as many as 1 million Ivorians have fled the fighting in Abidjan alone, joining hundreds of thousands of others as refugees in neighbouring Liberia and other countries or in makeshift camps for the internally displaced. The flood of civilians has overwhelmed existing relief efforts and 缅北禁地officials report that emergency funding appeals have found few listeners in donor countries.

The ambassador, however, remained confident of continued international support. 鈥淭here is no doubt they will respond. They will do it.鈥� In the meantime, he said, 鈥淧resident Ouattara has launched an emergency plan of 45 bn CFA francs [about US$100 mn] to address their basic needs 鈥� water, heath and basic infrastructure and sanitation 鈥� to prevent epidemics from spreading. We have done this, but we also need support from the international community in addressing this very urgent problem.鈥�

International community 鈥榮ort of鈥� complicit

The ambassador had one criticism of the international community, however. The scope of the suffering and destruction, he asserted, would have been lessened had the world acted sooner. 鈥淚t is unfortunate that the international community does not know Mr. Gbagbo. They were dealing with him as if he were a normal statesman鈥�. But because the international community did not know Gbagbo, they have been sort of accomplices in these killings,鈥� by trying so long to negotiate his departure.

Mr. Gbagbo鈥檚 removal 鈥渟hould have happened long before,鈥� the ambassador concluded. 鈥淚t would have saved many lives. Many people would have been living to celebrate the emergence of democracy in C么te d鈥橧voire鈥�. That is my message to the international community.鈥�

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