English

Ivory Coast missed Eurobond payment, no default yet

3 janvier 2011 by Le Magazine de la Diaspora Ivoirienne et des Ami(e)s de la Côte d’Ivoire

* West African country in crisis since disputed election

* Not clear which presidential claimant will pay coupon

* Gbagbo frozen from state accounts

(adds details, background)

By Carolyn Cohn

LONDON, Jan 3 (Reuters) – Crisis-torn Ivory Coast has missed a coupon payment on its $2.3 billion Eurobond that was due on Friday, but a month grace period means it is not yet in default, the London Club of commercial creditors said on Monday.

The West African nation has been engulfed in a violent power struggle since a disputed Nov. 28 election left two men each claiming to be president and setting up rival governments.

The interest due by Friday’s close was almost $30 million, but it has until Feb. 1 before the contract is in default.

« The coupon was not paid on Dec 31. My feeling is that there is a willingness from the Ivorians to pay. There is a grace period of 30 days, they are not in default, » Thierry Desjardins, London Club chair and senior vice president of debt rescheduling at BNP Paribas, told Reuters by telephone.

Incumbent Laurent Gbagbo has refused to step down, despite U.N.-certified electoral commission results showing that he lost to rival Alassane Ouattara, who is internationally recognised as Ivory Coast president but remains trapped in a lagoon-side hotel guarded by U.N. peacekeepers and blockaded by pro-Gbagbo forces.

Gbagbo retains control of the security forces, state TV, government buildings, and the lucrative cocoa and oil sectors.

But he has been cut off from state accounts in the West African CFA franc monetary union, because he is not recognised by the region’s leaders, raising questions about which camp should make the payment.

Ivory Coast’s debt has already been restructured twice because of past defaults, and any repetition would leave it frozen out of international debt markets.

The yield on the Eurobond CI049648839= was trading at 15.4 percent on Monday, compared with under 10 percent before the election crisis flared up.

It is not clear whether the barring of Gbagbo from state accounts has taken effect yet — sources at the central bank in Senegal have declined to comment.

Ouattara’s government spokesman said on Friday that there was no money to pay it because Gbagbo’s camp had used it all to pay civil servants and soldiers their December salaries.

The conflict has left more than 170 people dead and led the World Bank to freeze aid of more than $800 million.

Creditors will start negotiations with Ivory Coast in January if it fails to pay, a debt negotiator said on Tuesday.

Some traders have suggested they would buy the bond in case of default if its price fell far enough — to under 40 percent of face value — because long term prospects for Ivory Coast’s economy are still good.

S: Reuters

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UN should stay out of Côte d’Ivoire – Lavrov (Russian Foreign Ministry)

1 janvier 2011 by Le Magazine de la Diaspora Ivoirienne et des Ami(e)s de la Côte d’Ivoire

The Russian Foreign Ministry is against UN Security Council interference in resolving internal problems in Côte d’Ivoire, said Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

He noted that the situation in Côte d’Ivoire could impact the African continent as a whole.

« We are all for the African countries coming together and working out arrangements that would seek to direct the situation into a political channel, » – said Lavrov.

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Ivory Coast | The theory of the imminent genocide – an unfounded psychosis

31 décembre 2010 by Le Magazine de la Diaspora Ivoirienne et des Ami(e)s de la Côte d’Ivoire

After the visit of three heads of state of the ECOWAS who, contrary to the expectations of some, concluded their mission on the option of the not recourse to an armed intervention against Ivory Coast, a new leitmotiv made its appearance on the lips of the journalists of the French media.

In the morning of December 29th, Youssouf Bamba, ambassador appointed by Alassane Ouattara and rashly recognized by the UNO, worried about the following fact: » we are within an ace of a genocide, it is necessary to do something. «

This new theory, which is very convenient, is too unrefined to seem credible. Destabilized by the prudent approach of the ECOWAS, the Ouattara camp, always supported by Nicolas Sarkozy’s France, which the UNO continues very strangely to follow gaily, brandishes a theory which aims clearly at diverting the international attention from the bitter failure which is being outlined on the horizon for Alassane Ouattara and his armed rebellion.

Africa realizes that a trickery is in preparation, and does not want to serve as the armed puppet to Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy to carry out its dirty work in a sovereign brother country.

Official statement of Ghana:

Ghana will not send troops to Ivory Coast under a west African regional plan to force Laurent Gbagbo out if he does not step down peacefully, defence minister said Thursday.

ECOWAS decides to slow down and opt for a peaceful outcome:

A delegation of three West African presidents went to Abidjan on Tuesday to deliver an ultimatum, but left without a clear outcome, and has since said they are still pressing for a peaceful solution.

They are due to return to Abidjan on Monday for more talks and military action appears to have been put on the back burner for now.

The mission from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which was in Abidjan on Tuesday to ask incumbent Laurent Gbagbo to cede power to his rival Alassane Ouattara, has given him a second chance of diplomacy. The mission has promised a second chance to find a peaceful solution to Cote d’Ivoire’s crisis.

« We shall come back, the ECOWAS president will negotiate a new date for the return of the mission. We hope that this will be as soon as possible, » Cape Verde’s President Pedro Pires said at the end of the mission.

The current « exactions » in the country, the populations which flee, the deaths and the mass graves – reflection

Dear readers. We invite you in a simple and logical reflection on some theories, allegations and informations

The sufferings of the inhabitants of » districts pro-Ouattara «

When the President of the Republic is in position in the presidential Palace and holds firmly his post, which is the interest for him to be engaged in barbaric acts, not only visible and noisy, but also strongly incriminating?

For whom knows Abidjan, it is common knowledge that there is no district exclusively « pro-Ouattara » or « pro-Gbagbo », this is another simplistic and reducing plan of which are fond the French media. Besides, these so called armed aggressors whom we qualify as militias « pro-Gbagbo » are this day not identified (black clothing from head to toe, covered faces and heads, 4X4 cars without license plates, etc.). What people forget to say, and it would come out if they made the effort to investigate in a little more pushed way, is that hundreds of armed rebels’ were poured in these areas prior to the second ballot of the elections by trains from the North, in the zone of Abobo and Anyama. It is simple enough to ask the question to the inhabitants of these districts, to check this information.

What they also forget to say, it is that activists of the Laurent Gbagbo’s party LMP as much as activists of the Alassane Ouattara’s party RDR are aimed by these acts.

Sincerely, who is « arranged » by this kind of exactions that ends in these amplified mass graves ? Let us not be naive and let us not rush in hasty conclusions.

The French media keep repeating as parrots: » in districts pro Ouattara, the populations undergo at night kidnappings, murders and armed attacks commited by pro-Gbagbo militias ».

These murders do, in no way, but then in no way serve the cause of Laurent GBAGBO. Then, why on earth « his partisans », as the French mediacalls them, would do such things ? Isn’t it incomprehensible?

Thousands of refugees flee the country…

There also, we can ask ourselves questions on the objectivity, even the intellectual honesty of certain French media eager for shock sentences, and which make little research work. Nobody, but really nobody among these journalists makes the effort to specify that ALL the refugees flee zones under control of the armed rebellion of Mr Ouattara. Yes! All the populations which flee towards Liberia, Guinea and the South of Ivory Coast run away from said zones CNO (Northwest Center: Man, Bouaké, in red on the map ) who are totally controlled by notorious war Lords of the Forces Nouvelles which are very known for the exactions and the atrocities committed since 2002 until during the elections of November, 2010, we want for proof the multiple reports of the African observers and the international NGOs (International Watch).

There also, it is difficult to understand this more than partial treatment of the information…

The improbable genocidal theory

The theory of the genocide, for who knows Ivory Coast, does not really hold the road. Simply because a so called ambassador, appointed by a non-justifiable president towards the laws and the constitution of Ivory Coast, which is a member sovereign country of the United Nations if it’s necessary to remind this, decided to throw a whim to the microphone of a journalist, all the French media plunge themselves into their greediness of sensations.

According to Youssouf Bamba, ambassador to the UN appointed by Alassane Ouattara, » we are within an ace of a genocide, it is necessary to do something. «

In Rwanda, the Hutus in the power incited to the genocide of the Tutsi. In the end, deaths were recorded in both camps. The history of the genocides was particularly marked by the extermination of the Jews by the Nazis and the Armenians that have been killed in Turkey.

For every person who has a little knowledge of Ivory Coast, we know that this extremely variegated country is in the heart of a very rich meshing which is connected with all the countries of western Africa. In Ivory Coast, there are approximately 70 dialects and ethnic groups (without considering the millions of expatriates from the nearby countries, besides from the rest of Africa, from the Middle East and from Europe), distributed within villages and cities. So, in the smallest hamlet, we find at least 3 to 4 different ethnic groups.

If ever this genocide aims at the partisans of Alassane Ouattara, then it is going to need to rake all the country to commit it. Some people will even have to kill themselves because today, in 2010, mixtures are so varied that it is impossible to find a single person stemming purely from a single ethnic group.

When you vaguely desire to be an ambassador to the UN, it is necessary to know how to measure your comments. Mr Bamba is not a journalist to look for shocking words which will allow him to attract a large audience. That he speaks about civil war threat, all right, but not genocide.

If we so base ourselves on the figures of the CEI (electoral commission), this genocide would aim at exterminating a little less than 54 % of the inhabitants of the Ivory Coast (if we exclude the Diaspora).

The genocides being generally committed on a minority, the Ivory Coast case once again shows exception! We would thus like all, you will agree on it, to obtain more clarifications on what Mr Bamba calls « genocide » in Ivory Coast.

This attempt to make noise to divert the attention of the true reality and try to obtain a return on the option of an armed attack against Ivory Coast proves an obvious restlessness and amateurism of this presumed diplomat.

Merci !!!!!!!

IVOIREVOX TEAM

plus d’infos sur http://blog.ivoirevox.info

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Davis resigns Ivory Coast contract

30 décembre 2010 by Le Magazine de la Diaspora Ivoirienne et des Ami(e)s de la Côte d’Ivoire

Former Clinton aide Lanny Davis, who has faced criticism here for lobbying on behalf of the incumbent president of the Ivory Coast after his apparent electoral defeat, resigned the contract in a letter to the country’s ambassador tonight.

Davis had presented himself as a mediator rather than a lobbyist, and he cites President Gbagbo’s refusal to take a call from President Obama, who is pressing him to step aside, in the decision:

Unfortunately, as you know, the decision was made in Abijan not to allow President Obama’s call to be put through to Mr Gbagbo, despite my repeated objections to that decision. Nor have I been able to reach Mr. Gbagbo directly myself to offer him this advice, despite repeated requests, as recently as the last twenty-four hours. Therefore, without going into further details regarding disagreements between me and representatives of the government, of which you are aware, I have reached the conclusion that I have not been allowed to effectuate the mission that I was expressly asked to do by your government, despite all my best efforts to do so.

I therefore cannot in conscience continue to represent your government. This is a difficult decision for me because I truly believed that I could assist in finding a peaceful solution consistent with the international community’s concerns and the interests of the people of the Ivory Coast to avoid further bloodshed.

Full letter after the jump.

Ambassador Charles Koffee
Embassy of the Ivory Coast
2424 Massachusetts Avenue
Washington D.C. 20008
kycharly@hotmail.com

December 29, 2010

Dear Mr. Ambassador,

As you know, for the last two weeks, I have been working to help resolve the crisis in the Ivory Coast. As I said publicly in my statement on December 20th, my mission was not to say who won or who lost the election or who was right or who was wrong, but rather to help resolve this crisis peacefully, through dialogue, mediation and with leadership and participation of the international community.

As you know Mr. Ambassador, from the earliest moments of my involvement, I have publicly urged Mr. Gbagbo to invite an independent international investigation into his claims of electoral fraud and violence, and to respect the results of that review, as a path to the peaceful and mediated resolution of this crisis.

In the past ten days, I have spoken repeatedly with a senior official of the State Department toward this end, and specifically to facilitate a call between the President of the United States and Mr. Gbagbo so Mr. Gbagbo could be presented with options for a peaceful resolution, that would avoid further bloodshed and be in the best interests of his country and the people of the Ivory Coast. There is no excuse for a return to violence or civil war.

Unfortunately, as you know, the decision was made in Abijan not to allow President Obama’s call to be put through to Mr Gbagbo, despite my repeated objections to that decision. Nor have I been able to reach Mr. Gbagbo directly myself to offer him this advice, despite repeated requests, as recently as the last twenty-four hours. Therefore, without going into further details regarding disagreements between me and representatives of the government, of which you are aware, I have reached the conclusion that I have not been allowed to effectuate the mission that I was expressly asked to do by your government, despite all my best efforts to do so.

I therefore cannot in conscience continue to represent your government. This is a difficult decision for me because I truly believed that I could assist in finding a peaceful solution consistent with the international community’s concerns and the interests of the people of the Ivory Coast to avoid further bloodshed.

My decision is final.

I will continue to do all I can to help encourage the parties to resolve this matter peacefully, through dialogue and mediation and non-violence, but for the reasons expressed above I will no longer be able to do so as a representative of your government.

Sincerely,

Lanny J. Davis

Lanny J. Davis and Associates
Washington D.C.

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Rawlings calls for peaceful approach to Côte d’Ivoire crisis

25 décembre 2010 by Le Magazine de la Diaspora Ivoirienne et des Ami(e)s de la Côte d’Ivoire

Former President Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings has reiterated his call for extreme restraint in the management of the crisis in Cote d’Ivoire.

In a statement issued on Thursday, three days after he called for restraint and maturity by all stakeholders in the crisis, President Rawlings said the situation in Cote d’Ivoire was not a simple electoral dispute but a web of ethnic and political complexities that should be handled with tact and diplomacy rather than the open hints of forceful intervention.

The former President said the disputed results clearly indicate that Cote d’Ivoire is sharply divided on ethnic lines and that is a matter that should worry major stakeholders such as the ECOWAS, AU and the UN as they consider options to resolve the impasse.

“The two men at the centre of the dispute have both indicated their preparedness to see a recount or further verification of the results by neutral observers. Is there any hidden motive in refusing to take up the challenge being offered by the two parties?

“It is also important that we do not rush into any form of forceful intervention. That will not guarantee a definite resolution of the crisis and may further exacerbate an already volatile situation that could erupt into a full-scale civil war with horrific consequences.

“Attempts to marshal support for a military intervention lack any justification and rather will expose the UN, ECOWAS and AU as being hypocritical.

“More outrageous election results have taken place without intervention. How can we justify an intervention in this instance, when the results are so close and divided along ethnic lines? Let us investigate all the peaceful options available rather than a military intervention that cannot establish a peaceful political transition in Cote d’Ivoire.

“The situation in there is definitely embarrassing to Africa, but equally worrying is the fact that a lot has been left unreported by the international media. Reports by some of the major election observers condemning the conduct of the elections in several parts of the country have been totally ignored by the international media.

“Some regions recorded votes higher than the total list of registered voters with one area have 159,788 “valid” votes from a list of 48,400 registered voters. These, plus the fact that in certain areas electoral commission staff and some party polling agents were not allowed to manage the process, requires that a proper investigation should be urgently instituted.

“There are many unanswered crucial questions. The details of the report of AU envoy, President Thabo Mbeki should be made public to help unravel the nature of the situation.

“It is also imperative that ECOWAS calls an emergency meeting to invite both parties in the crisis as well as representatives of all observer missions who covered the elections to state their case. This is what pertained in the past and will go a long way in finding a solution.

“We have to thread carefully for the sake of the people of Cote d’Ivoire who are the real victims of this tragedy. I am appealing to ECOWAS and other international institutions involved in the crisis to take a hard look at the situation and do all in their power to resolve it in a peaceful manner,”President Rawlings said.

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Ivory Coast: Soro to International Community “only solution to the crisis is the use of force”

22 décembre 2010 by Sara Atteby

In an interview on Wednesday with french television network I-Tele, former rebel leader and Ouattara’s chosen Prime Minister Guillaume Soro said, « It is obvious the only solution to the crisis is the use of force. »

Calling upon the support of the international community Soro said, « I ask the U.N. Security Council, European Union and ECOWAS to consider the use of force. » He also stated that, « Mr Gbgabo has got the tanks out … 200 people have fallen under the bullets of Liberian and Angolan mercenaries … the security situation is very worrying. »

By Sara Atteby