THE EU has agreed a travel ban on Ivory Coast’s president Laurent Gbagbo, whose supporters have vowed to fight to the death to keep him in power.
The announcement came as the UN accused armed men of threatening its staff in their homes and expressed concern at unconfirmed reports of a mass grave in the tense west African nation.
The UN says more than 50 people have been killed since opposition leader Alassane Ouattara’s election victory over Mr Gbagbo was recognised by the UN, the US, the African Union and the country’s former colonial power, France – but not Mr Gbagbo.
The EU travel ban will be imposed on Mr Gbagbo, his wife Simone and 17 of his close allies, expected to include ruling party officials and army officers.
Maja Kocijancic, a spokeswoman for the European Commission in Brussels, said: “We expect the ban to be adopted by Wednesday and come into effect on Thursday, effective immediately.”
Governments were also discussing a freeze on assets, she added.
Mr Gbagbo’s supporters brushed off the measures as insignificant, noting that he rarely travelled. His aide, Pascal Affi N’Guessan, said: “I don’t think this will advance things. It just shows that those behind them haven’t got much room for manoeuvre.”
About 5,000 Ivorians have already fled to neighbouring countries as concerns grow that an election designed to draw a line under the 2002-2003 civil war will instead reignite conflict between north and south.
The UN Security Council has called on all parties to recognise Mr Ouattara as president and has extended the mandate of its peacekeeping force for six months, defying calls from Mr Gbagbo’s government for it to quit the country.
The UN has nearly 10,000 troops in Ivory Coast and France has more than 900. About 800 UN peacekeepers are protecting the hotel from which Mr Ouattara is trying to govern the country. They are encircled by troops loyal to Mr Gbagbo, who has been accused of recruiting Liberian and Angolan mercenaries.
The UN was yesterday accused of trying to orchestrate a coup by Charles Ble Goude, Mr Gbagbo's youth minister. "The UN is giving weapons to the rebels in Cote D'Ivoire to attack the government and overthrow Mr Gbagbo from power," he told al-Jazeera television. – ( Guardianservice)