At UN, Ouattara Rep Predicts Cairo in Cote d'Ivoire, Says Zuma Should Defer

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, February 16 -- With banks and the stock exchange closing in Cote d'Ivoire, at the UN theAlassane Ouattara Ambassador Yousoufou Bamba told Inner City Press of defiant leader Laurent Gbagbo that “after the conclusion of the [African Union] Panel, he has to go, he will go forcibly, the people will pour into the streets.”

But whether Abidjan is analogue to Cairo or Tunis is open to question. Bamba also spoke to Inner City Press about the recent statements and upcoming travel of South African president Jacob Zuma.

“Zuma is playing the leadership,” Bamba said. “He shouldn't -- there is a chair, Mauritania.” He said that Blaise Campoure, the President of Burkina Faso, will remind him.

South Africa points out that Zuma has not called for a vote recount. “Yet,” one could hear.

Bamba snarked, when Inner City Press asked about Laurent Gbagbo's lawsuit against ECOWAS declaring Ouattara the winner, that it is surprising to see Gbagbo suddenly become interested in the rule of law.

UN's Ban Ki-moon and Bamba at swear-in, (c) MRLee

Meanwhile, the UN has yet to answer Inner City Press' questions about the delay in getting the attack helicopters and troops from UNMIL into Cote d'Ivoire. Inner City Press asked for confirmation of Ukraine's demand that the copter fly in pairs, and that DPKO had to travel to Niger, Togo and a third unnamed country to drum up the troops -- which were supposed to be Liberia. These questions should be answered.

And why, Inner City Press has asked, has lead UN envoy in Cote d'Ivoire Choi Young-jin not filed public financial disclosure, which Ban Ki-moon has claimed 99% of his officials have done? Watch this site.

Footnote: at the Committee to Protect Journalists' press conference at the UN on February 15, Inner City Press asked for CPJ's review of the UN's action on press freedom in Cote d'Ivoire. CPJ's Joel Simon said that the UN's statements about incitement to violence by Ivorian state media seemed "ad hoc" and that a better approach is needed. He did not comment on the UN's strange silence on the arrest of journalists Sanogo and Charly. We'll see.