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Ouattara to Gbagbo: No Negotiation until he Concedes Defeat

11 décembre 2010 by Sara Atteby

In an interview this week with BBC, the spokesman for Ouattara’s camp, Patrick Achi has said, “We ask [ed: Laurent Gbagbo] to concede defeat, recognize that the president of the Ivory Coast is Alassane Ouattara and once this happens, everything is possible. »

Ouattara refuses « any negotiations » with Laurent Gbagbo, who has himself stated that he is open to dialogue and is ready to negotiate with Ouattara and his party members.

The question remains open as to what will take place next. While a very powerful part of the international community have made clear their support for Ouattara, Gbagbo continues to maintain the support of the national Army.

Ouattara to Gbagbo: No Negotiation until he Concedes Defeat

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Bob Marley forced to choose between Black and White

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

Bob Marley preached inner peace and serenity to the masses, but was so racked by angst over his race that he used shoe polish to blacken his hair, according to a new book.

Such insecurities, during Marley’s teenage years in Kingston, Jamaica, contrast strongly with the reggae superstar’s image around the world.

He advocated spirituality and spread messages of peace in hits like One Love and No Woman No Cry.

During the early 1960s, Marley was torn between the influence of local Rastafarians and his own heritage. The son of a white father and black mother, he was essentially forced to choose between the two.

Marley’s widow, Rita, is quoted in the book – entitled I&I: The Natural Mystics: Marley, Tosh and Wailer – as saying that her husband was so racially sensitised and aware of bullying for having a fairer complexion that he asked her to « rub shoe polish in his hair to make it more black; make it more African ».

The author, Colin Grant, has interviewed members of Marley’s inner circle for the book, released in January. These include Marley’s late mother Cedella Booker and Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records.

Grant explained: « When Marley moved to Trench Town in Kingston aged 13 he was thought of as a white man and would have got a lot of grief for that.

« His father was a so-called white man, who moved in white circles, and it was unusual… to marry a black lady. But he did. It’s interesting that Marley went on to do that as well. He married a very black lady, Rita, and that was a time when people married up and out of colour. He did exactly the opposite. »

While living in Trench Town, Marley met Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh, three of the instrumental figures who went on to form the Wailers in 1963.

By 1966 they were its only members. Their first major studio album, Catch a Fire, was released in 1973, and contains most of the group’s best known hits, including Get Up, Stand Up. Grant argues that Wailer and Tosh were as instrumental in popularising reggae as Marley, though it was he who has gone down in history as its figurehead.

Marley once reflected: « My father was a white and my mother was black. Them call me half-caste or whatever. Me don’t dip on nobody’s side. Me don’t dip on the black man’s side nor the white man’s side. Me dip on God’s side, the one who create me and cause me to come from black and white. »

Marley was born in 1945 in the village of Nine Mile, before moving to Kingston. His father, Norval Sinclair Marley, was a white Jamaican of English descent. Norval married Booker when she was 18, but died in 1955 when the artist-to-be was suffering widespread racial prejudice because of his skin colour.

While Grant says this part of Marley’s life is well known in Jamaica, the full detail of what befell the young singer has remained unexplored until now. Marley died in 1981.

S: independent.co.uk

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Russia Blocks UN Council Statement Against Gbagbo in Ivory Coast Election

4 décembre 2010 by Sara Atteby

The U.N. Security Council failed on Friday to agree to a statement backing Ivory Coast’s opposition presidential candidate Alassane Ouattara as the victor due to objections from Russia, U.N. diplomats said.

« There won’t be anything tonight, » a Western diplomat told Reuters on condition of anonymity. « We’re still working on it. »

Several diplomats said Russia objected to the idea of the council endorsing any candidate.

Source: Reuters

Russia blocks UN statement against Gbabgo

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Election Results: Laurent Gbagbo re-elected President of Ivory Coast

3 décembre 2010 by Sara Atteby

Laurent Gbagbo has been officially re-elected as President of the Republic of Ivory Coast, winning 51.45% of total votes. With a participation rate of 71.28%, Alassane Ouattara won 48,55% of a total of 3 993 209 valid votes.

News from Abidjan and the south is that the population is generally relieved and pleased to have the final result.

On Friday, the 3rd of December at 15:30 GMT the President of the Constitutional Council Mr Paul Yao N’Dré, made a live statement on RTI (Ivorian National Television) announcing the official results of the second round of the Ivory Coast Presidential elections.

Mr Paul Yao N’Dré firstly detailed the irregularities that had taken place during the poll on Sunday, 28^th of November. He said that because of terrible irregularities, serious fraud and acts of violence in some areas, many were prevented from casting their vote.

Legally, there should have been a representative from each of the parties (LMP & RHDP) present at every polling station, but this was not the case in some regions. All these factors meant that many were hindered from exercising their right to vote, which is why the Constitutional Council declared the results in these regions to be annulled.

More information and detailed results will be published as soon as we have them.

Laurent Gbagbo re-elected as President of the Republic of Ivory Coast

By Sara Atteby

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Results of the elections in Ivory Coast: RTI asked to leave the premises of the CEI

30 novembre 2010 by Sara Atteby

It is now confirmed that the press is not welcome in the offices of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) in Abidjan. The national television network RTI, who had taken up residence in the premises of the CEI was asked to leave. The Electoral Commission have declared that they would like to give results to the press itself, instead of presenting the results live in ‘real time’, which is what took place during the first round of elections.

The Ivorian population, who had been promised results this morning, are now wondering what has motivated this decision. Inside the camps of the two protagonists, Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara, supporters are already making claims of fraud.

Clearly the loser of this vote will not easily accept the results of the polls. This bodes social unrest if those responsible do not take accountability for the promises they made on the televised face to face debate on the 25^th November.

IvoireDiaspo is watching for updates and will deliver the latest developments in this case and also the results when available.

IvoireDiaspo.net
Translation by Sara Atteby

RTI asked to leave the premises of the CEI

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Civilised, Courteous and Historic: First ever Televised Debate in Ivory Coast, Gbagbo vs Ouattara

26 novembre 2010 by Sara Atteby

Face a Face Gbagbo Ouattara Thursday 25th November

After the success of the first round of voting, without doubt, this debate is yet another historic victory for the Ivory Coast and for the continent as a whole.

It was disappointing and regrettable that one person died in the prelude to this debate on Friday, and meant that it was all the more important that Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara debated peacefully and with intelligence last night.

Fortunately they did not let us down, reflecting the sentiment of the majority of Ivorians, the discussion was calm and amicable.

Reinforcing the desire for peace in the Ivory Coast before voting begins on Sunday, Gbagbo called on a minute’s silence for all those who lost their lives and suffered during the unrest in the country. Ouattara said, “In the end I know these will be peaceful elections, just like the first round.”

Gbagbo also announced a 10pm curfew after Sunday’s poll saying, “I have to say that I am worried when I see the tense atmosphere and the mood and therefore, we are taking the appropriate measures.” Ouattara replied with a smile, “I think that out of courtesy, Laurent, you could have phoned me to tell me that.”

In response to the question: are you willing to accept the result, Gbagbo answered, “It is important that the one who wins, wins and the one who loses, loses” and Ouattara replied, “I will accept the results. I have said it. I am repeating it.”

Foreign press responded to the debate with the following headlines:

France 24 (TV in English): “After the acrimony, rivals face off cordially in TV debate”

Reuters (English): “Ivorian rivals soothe hostility in polite TV debate”

Walf Fadjri (FR): “Face to Face TV Gbagbo – Ouattara: A big first for Africa”

L’Express (FR): “Gbagbo and Ouattara calm the game, close vote in Côte d’Ivoire”

www.lequotidien.sn (FR): “Ivorian presidential televised debate between the 2 candidates: Gbagbo announced a curfew on election night, Ouattara calls for calm”

TF1 (FR): “Côte d’Ivoire: One dead before Sunday’s election”

RFI (English): “One dead in clashes ahead of Côte d’Ivoire vote”

By Sara Atteby