![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
![]() |
You are in: World: Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]()
|
![]() |
Friday, 11 August, 2000, 09:17 GMT 10:17 UK
Unity government for Ivory Coast
![]() Guei is seeking to become a civilian president
Ivory Coast's military ruler General Robert Guei and the country's four main political parties have announced they will create a government of national unity - whatever the result of the forthcoming elections to restore civilian rule.
Their statement followed a meeting on Thursday with the chairman of the Organisation of African Unity, Gnassingbe Eyadema - who is also the President of Togo - and Benin President Mathieu Kerekou. The statement added that General Guei had reassured the two West African leaders that preparations for the transition to civilian rule were going according to plan. Earlier, the United States had expressed "deep concern" that General Guei was planning to run for president in next month's elections as the candidate of the party he overthrew in a coup last year.
General Guei overthrew President Henri Konan Bedie in a December coup, placing Ivory Coast under military rule for the first time ever. The general has promised to return the country to civilian rule, and initially said he had no intention of staying in power. But on Wednesday the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI) - which ruled the country before the coup - confirmed that the general had applied to become its presidential candidate.
Competition General Guei will be competing directly with nine other candidates, including former President Bedie, for the PDCI nomination.
He remains nominal party president despite the coup, and retains some support within the party. "We are not going to marry our mother [the party] to our father's killer," supporters of Mr Bedie told AFP news agency. Concern abroad Ivory Coast's most influential Western allies - France and the United States - have expressed concern over the general's presidential ambitions.
The controversy over Mr Ouattara, whose opponents say he is not Ivorian, is further fuelling tensions in the country. Last year, the exclusion of Mr Ouattara from a planned election sparked angry riots - and General Guei took advantage of the months of instability to stage the coup against Mr Bedie.
The issue of "Ivorité" ("Ivorianness") is a pressing issue in a country where about a third of the population is of immigrant stock - and could potentially have regional repercussions.
|
![]() |
See also:
![]() Internet links:
![]() The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top Africa stories now:
![]() ![]() Links to more Africa stories are at the foot of the page.
![]() |
![]() |
Links to more Africa stories
|
![]() |
![]() |
^^ Back to top News Front Page | World | UK | UK Politics | Business | Sci/Tech | Health | Education | Entertainment | Talking Point | In Depth | AudioVideo ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To BBC Sport>> | To BBC Weather>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © MMIII | News Sources | Privacy |