Gbagbo loses access to state funds

Fri Dec 24, 2010

The Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) has blocked incumbent Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo's access to state funds a pressure mounts for him to step down.

The bank made the decision in an emergency session on Friday. The bank says it recognizes challenger Alassane Ouattara as the legitimate leader of Ivory Cost who can have access to the deposits.

This follows a World Bank decision to freeze all loans to Ivory Coast as well as the assets of Gbagbo himself.

The move is expected to make it harder for Gbagbo to pay the wages of soldiers loyal to him.

Ivory Coast was plunged into crisis after last month's presidential election.

Both Gbagbo and Ouattara have claimed victory. The UN recognizes the opposition leader as the rightful winner of the election.

The General Assembly also announced on Friday that it only accepts Ouattara's representatives as Ivory Coast's envoys to the UN.

The world body says post-election violence has claimed over 170 lives in the country.

This is while West African leaders held emergency talks Friday in Abuja, on the crisis in Ivory Coast.

"The question of compromise is not on the table," AFP quoted Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs Odein Ajumogobia as saying

"Something like a unity government or the sort of thing we have in Kenya and Zimbabwe are not on the table. We are resolute that Gbagbo has to step down," he added.

The disputed presidential election has raised the risk of a long power struggle in the country.

The world's top cocoa-producing nation is still reeling from the 2002-2003 civil war that split the West African country in two, with a rebel-held north and a government-held south.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/156949.html.