Gbagbo envoys to tell why Raila was rejected

 

By BERNARD NAMUNANE bnamunane@ke.nationmedia.com AND WALTER MENYA wmenya@ke.nationmedia.comPosted Sunday, January 23 2011 at 22:05

Embattled Cote d’Ivoire President Laurent Gbagbo wants to send a delegation to Kenya to explain his rejection of Prime Minister Raila Odinga as African Union envoy on the political crisis facing the West African country.

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Government sources, who requested anonymity, said Mr Gbagbo’s representatives delivered the request through the Kenya embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which then forwarded it to the Foreign Affairs ministry in Nairobi last Friday.

Cote d’Ivoire does not have an embassy in Nairobi, with diplomatic affairs handled through its Addis Ababa mission.

On receiving the message, which had been delivered verbally, the ministry asked that it be put formally in writing.

The Ivorian delegation, the source disclosed, wants an appointment with acting Foreign Minister George Saitoti.

Last week, Mr Gbagbo camp rejected Mr Odinga’s mediation and accused him of taking sides with the opposition rival to the presidency Alassane Ouattara. (Read: Gbagbo rejects Raila as mediator)

As Mr Odinga was leaving Cote d’Ivoire last week after his second failed mission, Mr Gbagbo’s Foreign Affairs minister Alcide Djedje announced that the Kenyan Prime Minister was no longer wanted.

“Mr Odinga failed in his mission and we are no longer prepared to receive him here in Cote d’Ivoire. We reject Mr Odinga,” he said.

“He sides with Mr Ouattara. We think he has become an actor in the Ivorian crisis and can no longer be an African Union special envoy.

Mr Gbagbo declined to hand over the presidency after a pliable court overturned the results in is favour. He has rebuffed all diplomatic efforts to quit.

The United Nations, the AU, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), the European Union and the United States all recognise Mr Ouattara as the legitimate winner and president. (Read: UN recognises Ouattara envoy)

Mr Odinga was first appointed AU mediator in December and ravelled soon afterwards to Abidjan, the Cote d’Ivoire capital, but met no success in his mediation.

He had announced even before his appointment as AU envoy that he wanted Mr Gbagbo removed by force if he refused to hand over to Mr Outtara.

On January 17, Mr Odinga flew back to Cote d’Ivoire for his second visit, but again failed in his mission to bring together Mr Gbagbo and Mr Ouattara for face-face-talks and persuade the former to step down. His second visit.

On Monday, the Nation can reveal that the PM had prepared a brief dated January 10 had called on Cote d’Ivoire’s neighbours to cut trade links with Mr Gbagbo and his close associates. In addition, he asked African states to isolate Mr Gbagbo diplomatically.

The use of force, he wrote, would only be a last resort. The US and EU are understood to have supported Mr Odinga’s position and would like to see him carry on with the mission.

Mali and Burkina Faso who share borders with Cote d’Ivoire are believed to be in support of the proposal for economic sanctions.

On Sunday, Mr Odinga’s spokesman on the Cote d’Ivoire issue Mr Salim Lone said the PM was only representing the position which was taken by the AU in the crisis.