Plots and propaganda in Cote d’Ivoire
Laurent Gbagbo is using state-run media to portray support for his rival as evidence of a plot against him.
Alain Le Roy, Cote d’Ivore’s UN peacekeeping chief, has told the UN Security Council that forces loyal to incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo have gained ground in Abidjan, and are in full control of some important parts of the city.
Le Roy also said that Gbagbo’s forces – battling those of his rival Alassane Outtara – had used a lull in peace talks as a trick to reinforce their position in the capital.
This week Gbagbo had agreed to negotiate without preconditions, following talks with heads of state from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU).
But he still has not agreed to hand over power to Ouattara – the country’s internationally recognised president.
ECOWAS has threatened to oust Gbagbo by force. But he is using state-run media to portray regional and international support for Ouattara as evidence of a plot against him and his government
Inside Story discusses with guests: Alexandre Vautravers, a professor of International Relations at the Webster University in Geneva; Gamal Nkrumah, the deputy editor of Al Ahram Weekly; and Renaud Girard, the chief foreign correspondent of the French Newspaper, Le Figaro.
This episode of Inside Story aired on Saturday, April 9, 2011.