Current goings-on in Ivory Coast are painting but a dour picture. Reports are coming out that confrontations have taken place as patience and reasoning escape. Tens are reported killed. Everybody that cares is worried about what will be the end outcomes of all this instability and impasse.
What astonishes beyond imagination is the indifference of world leaders have displayed. They have said a lot but did nothing.
We understand: UN and the United States of America, among big entities recognized president -elect, Allasane Ouattara. But is this enough to dissipate the impasse Ivorian are in? Is this enough in itself or something else needs to be done urgently? What is the logic behind recognizing the person that has no full control over the country he's elected to man?
We heard ECOWAS announcing suspending Ivory Coast's membership whilst UN stood to guard the new government. Is this enough really? Why suspending a country in lieu of suffocating one morose criminal?
While all these braggadocios are going on, the defeated ruler, Laurent Gbagbo is tightening his grip on power asking for talks. No window should be offered for any negotiations otherwise they mean a loophole for Gbagbo to relinquish power.
While feet dragging is going on, Gbagbo is ordering his army to shoot demonstrators. He's assaulting even a few UN units guarding legally elected president! He's illegally running his government. Moreover, he regards himself president despite knowing he lost elections he prepared and manned himself.
When one looks at the responsibility the US has always assign to itself vis a vis defending democracy, one wonders. Why was it possible for it to topple tyrants such as Manuel Antonio Noriega (Panama) and Saddam Hussein (Iraq) but the same fails to do so to Gbagbo? Hither is whither the whole issue of racism comes into the big picture.
Looking at what is going on in Ivory Coast one asks himself or herself. How many innocent people should be butchered in the quest of defending their constitutional rights and the country whilst the 'champions' of democracy sit aside and look? When will the world community act decisively and sensibly?
Why is the international community dragging feet whilst innocent people are suffering and dying in the hand of a self seeker? Is it because it is Africa? Isn't this international racism and indifference altogether?
When Serbian butcher, Slobodan Milosevic started killing innocent people of Kosovo descent , EU under NATO auspice didn't sit and watch. They decisively and timely intervene and neutralized the terror. What's it that is hampering all this to be applied on Ivory Coast? Is it because it is Africa?
Nobody should tell me that African Unity will address and arrest the problem whilst it squarely failed to intervene in Zimbabwe and Sudan where it has always stood by dictators in these country. In other words AU is the part of the problem.
Inverting militarily and otherwise is sine qua non. This becomes even more crucial in order to discourage other potentates that are currently watching closely as they contemplate doing the same in order to cling unto power. Therefore, my shew stone tells me that taking on, and thus, eradicating Gbagbo will send a clear signal to these tads in power.
More so, intervention will avert more bloodshed and more damage on brittle economy of Ivory Coast that resulted from a decade misunderstanding and division.
So too, intervening will minimize or curtail other losses the country is likely to suffer shall this wino be left to execute his nugatory manoeuvres.
More on this, intervention will avert the danger of the crisis to spew in other countries in west Africa and thus destabilize the region. Refer to allegations that Ouattara is allied with Bukinabe he has been branded to be his mother land. This anomaly started with Henri Konan Bedie who in 1999 alleged that Ouattara was a Burkinabe though this was strongly refuted by president Blaise Compaore who was quoted as thus: "For us things are simple: he does not come from Burkina Faso, neither by birth, marriage, or naturalization. This man has been Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire."
This bulimia has always been the take of Gbagbo and his people. If Ouattara is not an Ivorian then why did they allow him to hold high office and run for presidency? This is but hogwash so to speak.
Also refer to what is currently going on in East Africa after Somalia was let to fail. Light arms are currently a menace in the region not to mention piracy, human and drug trafficking, money laundering and what not.
Another player that can chip in to help in easing the tension is the International Criminal Court (ICC). Given that some innocent people have already been killed under the order of Gbagbo, it makes more sense for ICC to start indicting Gbagbo. The pressure thereof is likely to shake him off and discourage his machinations and ambitions to cling unto the office of president.
Source: The African Executive Magazine.
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