Brussels, 22/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - Laurent Gbagbo, the self-proclaimed president of Côte d'Ivoire who is clinging onto power despite everyone else, and his wife Simone also, are targeted by visa restrictions for entry into the EU - as are 17 other persons from the Gbagbo camp. The list of 19 people affected by this sanction decided by the EU on 13 December (EUROPE 10278 and 10276) was approved on Wednesday 22 December by written procedure. It will be published in the EU Official Journal on Thursday 23 December. The list of those hit by a freeze of assets held in the EU is being drawn up and will be adopted in early January. On Wednesday, the Commission said €5 million were to be allocated to help people threatened by turmoil in the Côte d'Ivoire.
As Paris called on French nationals to leave Côte d'Ivoire on Wednesday, no discussion had yet been foreseen by the relevant EU crisis management bodies. The Political and Security Committee (PSC) will assess the situation in early January, after the Christmas break. (A.N./transl.jl)