United States Embassy (Abidjan)
26 November 2008
This daily press review is compiled by the Information Section of the Public Affairs Office of the American Embassy in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
A proposal by President Laurent Gbagbo to save Africa from the global economic recession was a subject of a front-page story in today's Fraternite Matin. The paper also reported that Cote d'Ivoire is to sign a final Economic Partnership Agreement (APE) with the European Union. Reactions after Monday's attack on former rebel arms depot in the central city of Seguela; the electoral process; awareness campaign against gender-based violence and child trafficking were also major issues in today's Ivorian press.
1. Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily): The paper published a long interview with Cote d'Ivoire's President Laurent Gbagbo on his prescription to save Africa from the global economic turmoil. According to the paper, the Ivorian leader, who was speaking prior to leaving for the Doha Summit on world development, said he will participate in this conference alongside with other world leaders to take stock of recommendations made during the 2002 Summit in Monterrey, Mexico. The paper said, Gbagbo is proposing what he calls "Inverted Cooperation," where developed countries that are trying to maintain their level of growth would have to apply for funds from developing countries. "I want that we come together to create a pool in Africa in order to finance our infrastructures, our schools, our hospitals and our dispensaries," President Gbagbo was reported as saying.
2. Still on the economy, Fraternite Matin reported that Cote d'Ivoire is set to sign a final Economic Partnership Agreement (APE) with the European Union. The report said that the Integration Minister Amadou Kone was yesterday in Parliament to explain to lawmakers the rationale behind this decision. If this agreement is signed, Cote d'Ivoire would be bound to allow 80 percent of goods from European countries to have free access to the Ivorian market. The paper said that the remaining 20 percent would be made up of products that would be covered by custom duties.
3. Two days after an unknown armed group launched a raid on a New Forces' camp in the central city of Seguela, L'inter (an independent daily) said calm has returned to the area. However, the paper questioned whether the Ivorian peace process could succeed without the former warlords, who are now living in exile. The paper further suggested that former Cote d'Ivoire rebel Chief Kone Zacharia constitutes "a threat" for the Ivorian Prime Minister Guillaume Soro. The paper added that "Cote d'Ivoire would be permanently haunted by the specter of coup-d'etat and mutinies unless exiled soldiers like Mathias Doue (ex-Ivorian army commander), Sergeant Ibrahim Coulibaly (former rebel leader) and Kone Zacharia are invited to join the peace process."
4. In a related development, L'inter informed readers that Prime Minister Guillaume Soro is set to meet foreign diplomats today in Abidjan. Citing a public statement issued by the cabinet of the Prime Minister, the paper said that the meeting will focus on the peace process underway in Cote d'Ivoire, especially the identification process and the thorny question relating to funding of the peace program.
5. A story in Fraternite Matin said that Cote d'Ivoire's traditional chiefs urged the Independent Electoral Commission to establish a firm date for the coming presidential elections. According to the paper, the call was made on Wednesday when the traditional leaders met with the Commission on how the chiefs could fully participate in the electoral process. Regarding the voter registration exercise, the paper quoted the electoral commissioner as saying that "as of now (yesterday), more than 1.3 million voters have been enrolled in Abidjan. By Saturday, we can certainly have more than 1.5 million voters registered."
6. A prominent story in Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party) hinted that leaders of the Rally for Democracy and Peace - the coalition of four political parties - are due to meet soon "to take decisions that would radically change the course of the stalled peace process." According to the paper, this was announced yesterday by the leader of the MFA, Anaky Kobena, after a meeting with the Ivorian opposition figure, Alassane Dramane Ouattara.
6. In another development, Fraternite Matin reported that the Ivorian chapter of Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) recently called for the reinforcement of the judicial framework to fight the phenomenon of child trafficking. According to the paper, the pan-African network made the call during a conclave that brought together experts from Cote d'Ivoire, Benin and Burkina Faso.
MEDIA REACTION TO U.S. AND OTHER WORLD ISSUES
A story in Fraternite Matin said that the US Embassy called on decision makers to help fight gender-based violence. The positive report said that women from different walks of life gathered on Monday at the US Embassy to discuss the issue on violence against women. Le Temps (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) reported on the program saying the US Embassy organized a program to sensitize the public on gender-based violence.
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