UNOCI pays
tribute to Senegalese soldier

L'Expression -

The United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) has paid a
last tribute to a Senegalese gendarme, Massamba Diop, who died after a brief
illness a week ago at the  hospital of the  Mission's headquarters in Abidjan,
where  he had been evacuated on 27 March. He joined the Mission in June 2009.
The ceremony took place in the presence of [UNOCI Chief] Young Jin Choi.

Financing of the
crisis-resolution process in Côte d'Ivoire: The international community wants to
throw in the towel. A total embargo under consideration

Soir Info  -
The beating about the bush by Ivorian political actors who cannot or have
refused to organize the presidential election since 2005 is annoying the
international community, led by France, considered as the titular power over
Côte d'Ivoire. France is ready to throw in the towel regarding its support to
the peace process based on the Ouagadougou Political Agreement (OPA) signed on 4
March 2010 in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. According to diplomatic
sources, France, Belgium, Britain, the United States, Japan... and even China,
want to give up on the Ivorian crisis. Most of these countries, which contribute
to the financing of the peace process through the "basket fund" managed by the
UNDP, consider that the Ivorian political actors, namely those who signed the
OPA, do not want to organize the presidential election. Still according to our
sources, the United Nations (UN), which represents the international community,
wants to put an end to its financial contribution to the peace process in Côte
d'Ivoire and thereafter place a total embargo on arms, specific targets,
development aid, loans and foreign travel, freeze the external assets of certain
individuals, and indict those suspected of crimes against humanity. The list of
measures to be taken is not exhaustive and it seems that it is already ready.
According to our sources, France, which initiates UN resolutions on the Ivorian
crisis, possesses the "bomb" and is ready to release it if the obstacles to the
peace process in Côte d'Ivoire are not cleared within two months.

Crisis
resolution: "We will not wait for the last soldier to lay down his arm before we
vote"

Fraternité Matin–
"President Laurent Gbagbo has never said that  disarmament is a precondition for
the holding of elections", Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, Secretary-General of
the Forces Nouvelles (ex-rebellion), said in a clear reference to  obstacles to
the holding of  the presidential election in Côte d'Ivoire in an interview with
the weekly newspaper Jeune Afrique. According to Prime Minister Guillaume Soro,
as in any country emerging from  conflict, "one does not wait until the last
soldier lays down his arms before going to the polls." He warned his field
commanders that the time for recreation was over and that those who tried to
block the course of history would learn this at their expense. According to the
co-signatory of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement, which is aimed at
reestablishing peace and reunifying the country, "President Laurent Gbagbo has
never said that disarmament is a precondition for the holding of elections. This
is without a doubt, an answer to Charles Blé Goudé, candidate Gbabgo's deputy
campaign manager in charge of the youth, who said recently that if the ex-rebels
did not lay down their arms, arms would lay them down. In the same interview,
the Ivorian head of government said that he could not imagine "that on 7 August
2010, the day for our national holiday and the fiftieth anniversary for our
independence, Côte d'Ivoire would have not have held the election". In that
case, he said, the holiday will be very sad.

Disarmament, electoral list, looting of the economy - Blé Goude belts out his
truths to the Forces Nouvelles.

Notre
Voie:
Charles Blé Goudé, guest of National Television's Channel 1 on Sunday, did not
mince words to say what he thinks about the crisis-resolution process. We knew
he was exasperated by the perpetrators of the frauds on the electoral list.
However, we never thought that he was outraged by the attitude of the Forces
Nouvelles in the management of the crisis. In any case, in front of the National
Television's cameras on Sunday, Charles Blé Goudé, leader of the Patriotic
Youth, was firm and very determined. On disarmament, he noted that Ivorians have
to be anxious when the spokesperson of the Forces Nouvelles says disarmament is
not a prerequisite for the presidential election. According to him, the
Ouagadougou political agreement indeed stipulates that the disarmament has to
take place two months before the polls. Therefore, he wondered if it was a
deliberate refusal by the Forces Nouvelles' authorities to complete the
disarmament, or if they could not do so. "If they cannot do it, then they have
to let us know so that we can look for someone who can do it," Charles Blé Goude
said. For him, the Head of State appointed Guillaume Soro as Prime Minister,
acknowledged the ex-rebels' military ranks, recruited volunteer teachers, and
made many others sacrifices to help the Forces Nouvelles lay down their arms and
create the conditions for free and fair elections. Charles Blé Goude also
denounced the hypocrisy of the Forces Nouvelles, which undermines the Ivorian
economy. (...) In addition, Charles Blé Goude suspects that Guillaume Soro and
his friends want to discredit the political actors so as to position themselves.
He concluded that the Forces Nouvelles must be reminded of their duty, which is
to create the conditions for credible and fair elections. This means that they
must disarm, stop maintaining a parallel economy and achieve the political and
economic reunification of the country.

Rumor
of a coup d'état in Cote d'Ivoire: the military on high alert, Abidjan
surrounded by the military.

Soir
Info, Since Friday 02 April 2010, a wild rumor of a coup has overwhelmed the
Ivorian institutions to such an extent that the Defense and Security Forces
(FDS) have been placed on high alert. Top Ivorian administration institutions in
the capital city were closed off by elements of the FDS (gendarmerie, police,
military) and the Security Operations Command Center (CECOS).  In the barracks,
soldiers are subject to searches. The government is taking this latest rumour of
a coup very seriously. Is it a fake coup or are we facing a real fact. In any
case, that other rumour ... seemed to have been planned this time, by a man above
suspicion who, according to our sources, is former Prime Minister of Cote
d'Ivoire. (...)