Cote d’Ivoire Peace Process Facing Hurdles
From: www.chinaview.cn
ABIDJAN, July 1 (Xinhua) — Characterized by delays in meeting key deadlines, lack of resources and now mutinies, the implementation of the Cote d’Ivoire peace process could be headed for more trouble if something is not done urgently to rectify the situation, according to observers.
“The Cote d’Ivoire peace process is in danger, largely because Prime Minister Guillaume Soro does not have the resources to back up his policies,” Alain Lobognon, a senior military official with the former New Forces (FN) rebels, was quoted as telling reporters Monday.
Short of funds, Cote d’Ivoire, which once served as a shining example of both political and economic stability in Africa, has been calling on development partners to chip in and support key peace process programs and projects such as disarmament and demobilization of former combatants.
“The funds have been trickling in, albeit slowly than expected,” said one regional observer, adding: “If the country is to hold the much awaited presidential election in line with the November deadline, then donors will need to step up their game.”
“For Cote d’Ivoire, this is nothing short of a crisis situation,” Lobognon, a special advisor to Prime Minister Soro and also FN communication director, said, referring to a weekend uprising by FN soldiers in the central parts of the country.
“The peace process is in danger because the prime minister can ill-afford his policies,” said the FN communication director, calling on the international community to show solidarity with the Ivorian people.
Guillaume Soro, who was appointed as the prime minister in a transitional government formed shortly after a comprehensive peace agreement was signed between the government and the FN in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in March 2007, “does not have the means to move the process forward,” said a regional political commentator.
Charged with overseeing the implementation of the program to end the crisis that has bedeviled the country since September 2002,” Prime Minister Soro is faced with a difficult task that includes demobilizing, disarming and reintegrating former combatants, which is a costly process by any standards,” according to an Abidjan-based African diplomat.
On himself, the prime minister cannot “afford the implementation of the peace process,” said his advisor, who denounced lack of support from the international community.
“We are always told to expect aid that never comes,” said Lobognon.
Meanwhile, the Cote d’Ivoire government is holding a round table with donors, mainly drawn from the Arab world, as part of efforts to seek “special emergency” funds to spur the implementation of the six-year old peace process.
The two-day panel meeting, which began Monday in the economic capital of Abidjan, is being attended by representatives of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), the OPEC Fund as wells as officials from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
The funds will be used to rehabilitate infrastructure facilities that have been damaged since the outbreak of the politico-military crisis in September 2002 in order to enable people to “maintain an acceptable standard of living,” the government said in a statement issued ahead of the meeting.
Addressing the opening session of the meeting, Cote d’Ivoire’s Economy Minister Charles Diby Koffi said that his government had set aside 3 billion CFA francs (about 7 million U.S. dollars) to finance the program in 2008 despite “severe budgetary constraints.”
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SOCCER: Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea Lead Goal Spree
Story by REUTERS
Publication Date: 6/24/2008
JOHANNESBURG
Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea led a deluge of home goals on Sunday as a marathon month of African World Cup qualifiers drew to a close with home success in all but one of the day’s 12 games.
The Ivorians and Guinea both scored 4-0 home wins to go top of the standings in their respective groups but Ethiopia overshadowed them with a 6-1 win over Mauritania while the Democratic Republic of Congo were 5-1 victors at home to hapless Djibouti.
Home triumph
Ismael Bangoura netted a hat-trick for Guinea in their win over Namibia in Conakry while Shabani Nonda got a trio of goals for the Congolese in Kinshasa as Djibouti’s tally of goals conceded in the qualifiers rose to 23 in four matches.
Sekou Cisse grabbed two in the Ivorians’ win over Botswana in Abidjan while Mozambique won their first game in the same group with a 3-0 home triumph over Madagascar.
Benin, Egypt and Ghana all won 2-0 to keep them well in contention. New Barcelona signing Seydou Keita scored twice for Mali and Frederic Kanoute claimed the other in a 3-0 home win over Sudan in Bamako.
Reigning African Footballer of the Year Kanoute has now got five goals in four qualifying matches.
Emad Moteab scored both for Egypt as they beat Malawi 2-0 in a Group 12 game in Cairo.
The only anomaly was the potentially vital away point picked up by Kenya in their Group Two match at Zimbabwe.
It sees the Harambee Stars level on points with Guinea.
The Group Three encounter between Angola and Uganda was postponed to Monday after the refereeing team from Nigeria failed to arrive in Luanda on time.
The 12 African qualifying groups will provide 20 teams to go through to the last phase of qualifiers later this year. The 12 group winners and eight best runners-up progress.
World Cup qualifying African zone second-round results on Sunday. Group 1 Saturday, June 21 Cameroon 2 Tanzania 1 Group 2 Sunday, June 22 Zimbabwe 0 Kenya 0 Group 4 Saturday, June 21 Nigeria 2 Equatorial Guinea 0 South Africa 0 Sierra Leone 0 Group 5 Friday, June 20 Libya 4 Lesotho 0 Group 6 Saturday, June 21 Senegal 3 Liberia 1 Group 6 Friday, June 20 Algeria 1 Gambia 0 Group 7 Sunday, June 22 Mozambique 3 Madagascar 0 Group 8 Sunday, June 22 Ethiopia 6 Mauritania 1 Group 8 Saturday, June 21 Morocco 2 Rwanda 0 Group 9 Saturday, June 21 Tunisia 2 Burundi 1 Burkina Faso 4 Seychelles 1 Group 10 Sunday, June 22 Congo 2 Chad 0 Group 11 Saturday, June 21 Zambia 1 Swaziland 0 Group 12 Sunday, June 22 Congo DR 5 Djibouti 1
PM Soro Calls on International Donors for Election Success
ABIDJAN, June 21 (Xinhua) — Cote d’Ivoire’s Prime Minister Guillaume Soro has called on international donors to provide financial assistance to ensure that the forthcoming presidential election is a success.
“It’s time to act. Everybody asked us to hold these elections…we are waiting for nothing other than funding in order to hold the presidential election on November 30 as scheduled,” Prime Minister Soro said Friday, during a meeting with foreign diplomats in Abidjan.
“So far, all political and military obstacles have been removed or are being removed. The only obstacle is the question of resources,” the head of the government was quoted as saying by the official Ivorian News Agency.
Speaking during the same occasion, Cote d’Ivoire’s Economy and Finance Minister Charles Diby Koffi said that the ongoing peace process would cost an estimated 223 billion CFA francs (about 543 million U.S. dollars).
“Out of this figure, the government will contribute some 144 billion CFA francs with international donors expected to come up with the remaining 78 billion CFA francs,” said the minister.
Currently, Cote d’Ivoire, which has been experiencing a six-year old crisis, is in the middle of implementing a comprehensive peace deal that was signed by President Laurent Gbagbo and the New Forces rebels in Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso, in March 2007.
The implementation of the agreement, which is mainly aimed at reunifying the country that has been divided for the last six years, is expected to culminate in presidential election that, after much postponement, is now scheduled to begin on November 30.
The world’s largest cocoa producers plunged into a political-military crisis since the former FN rebels seized the northern part of the county, which was once seen as model of stability in Africa, following a failed coup against President Gbagbo in September 2002.
Meanwhile, Cote d’Ivoire has identified some 660,000 undocumented citizens within the framework of the so-called fair-hearing operations that are intended to issue both identity and voter’s cards to the populations ahead of the highly anticipated presidential polls.
“These operations have enabled us to issue over 658,566 supplementary judgments,” Cote d’Ivoire’s Justice Minister Mamadou Kone said during a high-level meeting with Abidjan-based diplomats.
The minister, who was speaking during the meeting that was also attended by Prime Minister Soro, further announced that the government would proceed to hold exceptional “catch-up” sessions in selected areas in two weeks time.
The fair-hearings, which are expected to lay the groundwork for the organization of the November presidential elections, are being used to issue identification papers to nationals aged at least 13 years, whose birth was never reported with the registrar.
