Budapest, 17/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - In Budapest on 17 May, MEPs and elected representatives of ACP members of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) were unanimous in their approval of the fact that Alassane Ouattara, the democratically elected president of Côte d'Ivoire, had finally been able to gain access to power after a post-electoral crisis lasting over four months. They were also unanimous in deploring the “heavy cost” that the Ivorian people had to pay to achieve this. All condemn the attempts by the former president, Laurent Gbagbo, and by his supporters to prevail over the will of the Ivorian people through violence, and are aware of the huge task that lies ahead of Alassane Ouattara whose investiture will take place this coming weekend. National reconciliation, which is mainly based on zero impunity at national and international level for all those responsible for massacres and crimes on both sides, is, they say, a matter of absolute urgency and the essential condition to be met if this country is to recover and acquire lasting stability. The compromise resolution to be adopted on Wednesday 18 May on the situation in Côte d'Ivoire will relay this message of solidarity and vigilance, for which Tuesday's plenary debate set out the main lines.
From the opening of the JPA, Louis Michel (ALDE, Belgium) the co-president, had condemned the latest massacres which left more than 200 dead among President Ouattara's supporters over the weekend. He added that the “greatest challenge will not be economic recovery but reconciliation”, which must be achieved without outside interference. He explained that, for this, “justice must be done for violations of human rights on both sides”, and they must support Ouattara in his “determination to achieve reconciliation and appeasement”. David Matongo, ACP Co-President (representative of Zambia), said that events in Côte d'Ivoire lie at the “very heart of democratic change in Africa”. A detractor of despots who cling on to power come what may, he pointed out that the elections, which were supposed to put an end to civil war in a country with considerable economic potential, had resulted in an unduly long and bloody post-electoral crisis.
EPP member Carvalho called for every possible effort to be made to restore the country's peace and social and geographic cohesion, and to bring about more humanitarian aid. She welcomed the fact that Ivorian cocoa exports had resumed “with a first boat leaving the port on 8 May”. The Ivorian representative, Gbaou, welcomed the fact that “the worst has been avoided” but said “everything still remains to be done” - economic recovery, reinsertion of fighters, and meeting the cost of basic social needs. He welcomed the planned visit of a JPA delegation to the Côte d'Ivoire as this will “allow rebuilding needs to be assessed”. He added: “Now is the time to rebuild but this cannot be done without reconciliation (via the committee on peace, truth and reconciliation), and there will be no reconciliation without justice. Investigations are underway on atrocities committed”.
S&D member Neuser thanked the UN and the French force Licorne for having opened the road to a solution, while deploring the fact that Gbagbo could not be dislodged without military intervention and death. Deploring the fact that diplomacy had not been enough, that peacekeepers were so badly equipped, and that ECOWAS sanctions had been inadequate, he called for a “better mechanism” to prevent similar events from occurring in the future. In his opinion, the crisis goes to show that “although elections are important, they are not enough to ensure democracy - a civil society is needed as are strong local authorities and a commitment to reform justice and security”. Kollie, the elected representative for Liberia, launched an “SOS” to draw the international community's attention to the situation of the refugees that left Côte d'Ivoire (125,000 in Liberia) while thanking the European Commission for its help. “They (the refugees) must be able to consider their return. If they are not well treated in Côte d'Ivoire, they will go to a neighbouring country”, he warned. An elected DRC representative drove the nail home further saying that “some refugees are fighters that should be disarmed”. Nedecheva (EPP) also urged for the population to be disarmed and for the results of an independent UN international committee of inquiry to be followed by action. Hajaig, the South African representative, congratulated Ouattara who is doing what he can, she said, to heal the wounds. The peace, justice and reconciliation programme which takes inspiration from what was done in South Africa “should be approved by parliament and people”, she asserted, adding: “For a balanced and unbiased process, one must not go too fast”. ALDE member Bearder felt that the carefully chosen words of the JPA compromise resolution were hardly in keeping with the “horror experienced by the Ivorians”.
Speaking on behalf of Catherine Ashton, the EEAS representative said his views were in line with those of the parliamentarians, saying: “The EU considers it necessary to combat the root causes of the conflict for just and lasting peace, otherwise it will be the pursuit of political instability. The problem of 'Ivoirité' (= the fact of being Ivorian) calls for a political solution.”
Reform of the security sector, balanced power sharing in the government of national unity, the fight against corruption and justice for punishing human rights violations by either side - all these things are essential. It is important to support the process of peace and reconciliation by punishing those who are responsible for them. The European Commission representative said that €30 million have been made available for humanitarian aid and €180 million for a “post-crisis” package in Côte d'Ivoire. (A.N./transl.jl)