MEMBERS OF Ireland’s small Cote d’Ivoire community will stage a series of protests against what they see as the international community’s attempt to foist a France-supported candidate for the presidency on the country.
About 40 Cote d’Ivoire nationals protested outside the offices of the European Union in Dublin yesterday against its support for presidential hopeful Allassane Dramane Ouattara. The protesters support the current president Laurent Gbagbo.
The United States, the EU and the United Nations have stated that Mr Ouattara won the November 28th presidential election.
Mr Ouattara was proclaimed winner by the electoral commission and is internationally recognised as president-elect, but Mr Gbagbo, who retains control of the military, has refused to go, alleging the vote was rigged.
Synzi Dadie, spokesman for the protesters, said there had been electoral fraud behind Mr Outtara’s election victory over Mr Gbagbo last year.
“Outtara is supported by the French and the EU and the UN, because they have interests in our country and Outtara is the one they want to protect those interests,” he said.
“The Cote d’Ivoire is the richest French-speaking country in Africa and the biggest cocoa producer in the world. They want to protect their interests in all that.”
The protesters yesterday chanted: “Sarkozy, terrorist” and handed a document into the offices outlining their anger at the EU stance on the post-electoral crisis in the country.
The EU last month imposed a travel ban on Mr Gbagbo, his wife Simone and 17 of his close allies.
Mr Dadie said there would be further protests including a march from the French embassy to the European Commission offices “in the first week of February”.
He said about 250 Cote d’Ivoire nationals lived in Ireland.
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