Ecowas Wants Dignified Treatment of Ex-President

12 April 2011
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Economic Community of West African States (Abuja)
press release

Abuja - Nigeria — The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Ambassador James Victor Gbeho, has expressed "lingering concerns regarding the fate of Mr. Laurent Gbagbo in captivity" and called on President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d'Ivoire to ensure that the former Ivorian leader, captured in Abidjan on 11th April 2011 and currently under the protection of the United Nations, "is accorded the dignity and rights due to him as a former Head of State".

In a letter to President Ouattara on Tuesday, 12th April 2011, Ambassador Gbeho stated that ECOWAS considers Mr. Gbagbo's capture "as a unique opportunity to bring the crisis in the country to an early end', adding that he was "heartened" by President Ouattara's conciliatory address to the Ivorian nation "in which Your Excellency cautioned against revenge-seeking and promised to set up a truth and Reconciliation Commission".

"Against this background, I do not feel any more need, on behalf of the ECOWAS Commission, to recall the undertaking that you made both to ECOWAS and African Union with regard to the safety and wellbeing of Mr. Laurent Gbagbo, despite his violent and stubborn opposition to the choice made by the Ivorian people", said the President of the Commission. While assuring President Ouattara that his "undertaking has all along been respected and supported by the ECOWAS Commission as being both humane and exemplary", Ambassador Gbeho also expressed the hope that President Ouattara would "see to it that whatever measures are taken in respect of his actions will be dealt with strictly in accordance with national and international laws".

He said ECOWAS would continue to monitor further developments in the matter and was looking forward to discussing any further assistance the organization could offer in stabilizing the current situation in Cote d'Ivoire.

Read the original article on Ecowas.

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