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Why Cote d’lvoire boils
SIMON IBE, Just back from Cote d’Ivoire
THE fear of
the French that President Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d’Ivoire is about to break
their near total dominance of the Ivorien economy has been identified as the
major cause of the crises in the country.
Cote D’Ivoire has been facing a two-year
old rebellion from militants in its northern region and early last month, the
French forces in the country attacked and destroyed its airforce following
Ivorien bombardment of targets in the rebel stronghold of Buake, including a
French base where 9 French soldiers and one American were said to have been
killed.
The French also opened fire on civilian
protesters on the streets of Abidjan, the state capital killing and wounding
many and claimed it was done in self defence.
Champion
investigation showed that the French are apprehensive that President Gbagbo will
this December, refuse to renew contracts with Cote D’Iovire that were signed ten
years ago and which cover virtually every sector of the country’s economy.
President Gbagbo admitted in an interview
with some Nigerian journalists that visited his country within the week that the
contracts which have virtually made Code D’Ivoire a statellite of France are due
for review and said that he would this time around, give out the contracts to
countries and firms, wherever they come from, so long as the terms favour his
country.
This position runs contrary to the
expectation of France that all the contracts must be handled by her, as Cote
D’Ivoire’s former colonial masters.
But according to sources, French companies
always quote outrageous prices for contracts and insist that they must get the
jobs.
According to the President of the National
Assembly of Cote D’Ivoire, Mr. Mamadou Koulibaly and the President of the
Economic and Social Council, Mr. Laurent Dona Fologo, the war in Cote D’Ivoire
is a battle for true sovereignty, especially economic freedom.
Mr. Koulibaly said that the crisis in Cote
D’Ivoire is not about religion, the nationality question or north and south
dichotomy as many imagine, but a question of decolonisation." France wants
protection from competition," he said, insisting that this can not work in the
present age of market economy.
Fologo, who said that eight French West
African countries had been adversely affected by the crisis in Cote D’Ivoire,
stressed that though the country had gained political independence in terms of a
flag and an anthem, it was still tied to the apron strings of France,
economically, a situation, which he said is unhealthy.
He insisted the problems confronting
Gbagbo are in reaction to fears that he would tow the path of Sekoure Toure of
Guinea and Patrice Lumumba of the Congo who fought for true political and
economic independence for their countries, and called on other African countries
to rally round Gbagbo to secure not only political but economic freedom for Cote
D’Ivoire.
Ambassador Raph Uwechue, Special
Representative of ECOWAS in Cote D’Ivoire, who put together the fact finding
tour for the Nigerian journalists, said that Cote D’Ivorie, which accounts for
40 per cent of the GDP of French West African countries was too important in the
subregion to be allowed to be destroyed by war.
He decried the fact that misinformation
had contributed adversely to the crisis and hoped that the new insights got from
the tour would help to educate Nigerians and the international on the issues at
stake and the way out of the crisis.
attacked and destroyed its airforce
following Ivorien bombardment of targets in the rebels stronghold of Buake,
including a French base where 9 French soldiers and one American were said to
have been killed.
The French also opened fire on civilian
protesters on the streets of Abidjan, the state capital killing and wounding
many and claiming it was done in self defence.
Champion
investigation showed that the French are apprehensive that President Gbagbo will
this December, refuse to renew contracts with Cote D’Iovire that were signed ten
years ago and which cover virtually every sector of the country’s economy.
President Gbagbo admitted in an interview
with some Nigerian journalists that visited his country within the week that the
contracts which have virtually made Code D’Ivoire a statellite of France are due
for review and said that he would this time around, give out the contracts to
countries and firms, wherever they come from, so long as the terms favour his
country.
This position runs contrary to the
expectation of France that all the contracts must be handled by her, as Cote
D’Ivoire’s former colonial masters.
But according to sources, French companies
always quote outrageous prices for contracts and insist that they must get the
jobs.
According to the President of the National
Assembly of Cote D’Ivoire, Mr. Mamadou Koulibaly and the President of the
Economic and Social Council, Mr. Laurent Dona Fologo, the war in Cote D’Ivoire
is a battle for true sovereignty, especially economic freedom.
Mr. Koulibaly said that the crisis in Cote
D’Ivoire is not about religion, the nationality question or north and south
dischotomy as many image but a question of decolonisation." France wants
protection from competition," he said, insisting that this can not work in the
present age of market economy.
Fologo, who said that eight French West
African countries had been adversely affected by the crisis in Cote D’Ivoire,
stressed that though the country had gained political independence interms of a
flag and an anthem, it was still tied to the apron strings of France,
economically, a situation, which he said is unhealthy.
He insisted the problems confronting
Gbagbo are in reaction to fears that he would tow the path of Sekoure Toure of
Guinea and Patrice Lumumba of the Congo who fought for true political and
economic independence for their countries, and called on other African countries
to rally round Gbagbo to secure not only political but economic freedom for Cote
D’Ivoire.
Ambassador Raph Uwechue, Special
Representative of ECOWAS in Cote D’Ivoire, who put together the fact finding
tour for the Nigerian journalists, said that Cote D’Ivorie, which accounts for
40 per cent of the GDP of French West African countries was too important in the
subregion to be allowed to be destroyed by war.
He decried the fact that misinformation had contributed
adversely to the crisis and hoped that the new insights got from the tour would
help to educate Nigerians and the international on the issues at stake and the
way out of the crisis.
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