The current situation of things in Ivory Coast calls for concern. More so because the term “crisis” is synonymous to term “Africa” itself. The elections in Africa have become a major trigger point that often bring untold suffering and hard-ships to Africans. Ivorian elections which were conducted to usher in a set democratically elected leaders in the country have become too complex a case to handle. The resultant effect of this God forbidden circumstance is the loss of lives and destruction of property. It means therefore, that the bad wind of sorrow (which has reap Africa of its happiness in the social co-existence of people in the society) is beginning to blow towards the direction of Ivory Coast. For this to be averted, there must be sincerity in the manner of sacrifices that avail African continent peace-wise. It means that sensitive issues like a country’s election which could bring conflict or crisis in that country must be handled diplomatically with careful approaches that are peace/unity oriented. Taking side on volatile issues such as this will tear a country apart. This however, calls for certain questions which demands answers:
(1) How many presidents did Ivory Coast have after the 2010 re-run elections?
Before the situation went to the level of Ivorian government closing all her borders, there was an earlier statement made by the spoke-man of the incumbent government that the international community is being suspected of a bias interest in the current leadership crisis in Ivory Coast, especially to popularize results of the elections against the ethics and regulations governing the Ivorian apex electoral body. For example, part of the regulations states that, the media does not have announce results until the electoral body has approved of it. But contrary to this, the media stations went ahead to announce Quatara as the president elect, while the electoral body (which is a legally constituted electoral body by the Ivorian government, and have the final authority on all electoral matters,) announced Gbagbo as the legitimate president of Ivory Coast. This means that the country has two presidents after the elections re-run. At the moment, the astride nature of apex leadership in the country is yet to resolve. This is obviously not healthy for the unity and peace of Ivory coast.
(2) What justification has ECOWAS to accept Quatara as president against the incumbent, Gbagbo?
ECOWAS as a sub-regional body is vested with the responsibility to keep peace and promote socio-economic development of the West African states which Ivory Coast is one among. The body (ECOWAS), does not have such power to either choose a leader for any of its member states or influence leadership in any West African country against the wishes of the people in that country. The decision of ECOWAS to take side in the current crisis in Ivory Coast will not only worsen issues but will set a bad precedence in the political circumference of the sub-region. The elections may not have been concluded in favour of the incumbent, but it should be noted that Gbagbo’s government is not a military regime. It was a regime that came into power as a legitimate government which was (once) fully supported by the people of Ivory Coast and entrusted with country’s leadership. If elections were conducted to relieve Gbagbo’s government of power, such elections must clearly indicate a margin in the people’s votes that will show to the world that his government is not the choice of Ivorians hence the people need a change in the administration of the country. Not ECOWAS or any other body aside from the votes of the Ivorian people which are guided by electoral rules and regulations governing all elections in the country. This is how issues of democracy are handled.
It baffles me however, that the leader of ECOWAS, President G. E. Jonathan, forgets so soon that it was in Nigeria that June 12 election was conducted and M. K. O. Abiola won Tofa with a clear margin of votes. Apart from that, it was even a military government which was being criticize by many that was in power. Was ECOWAS not existing at that time? Why didn’t ECOWAS came out then to declare Abiolo as the president of Nigeria and show their support for democracy? Yet the organization did not play such role, allowed Nigeria to manage its internal political issues to this very level. Although Nigeria’s democracy is not stable yet, it will stand some day; either through the usual experimental process of square pegs in rounds or another process that will speak better some times to come. What then ECOWAS stand to gain by taking side to worsen issues Ivory Coast? Because as it is now, Gbagbo has a sizable number of Ivorian supporters which means that if he should continue control of this people could split the country into two.
(3) What implication would this have on the political image of the sub-region?
This development has a grievous implications as well as consequences upon the social co-existence of the Ivorian people especially interms of peace and unity of the state. It therefore means that, if ECOWAS is taking side now, it is contributing to the disintegrative tendencies surrounding the current situation of things in Ivory Coast. Ghana had re-run in her previous elections, President Ata Mills was finally declare the winner. Ivory Coast is a toddler in democracy and its should be given the desired encouragement and support by the international communities as well as her African brothers to built a democratic foundation that will sustain the subsequent political dispensations, not only in Ivory Coast but also in the sub-region. I am saying this because I have watched the trends of politics in the sub-region and I can fairly predicted its direction in future.
Today, ECOWAS is saying Mr. X is the president of Ivory Coast while Mr. Y is not, instead of helping to solve the issues through means that will support peace and stability in the sub-region. Tomorrow, ECOWAS will be declared as the verdict house where leadership of any West African country will be decided against the wishes of the people of that country. In view of this, I honestly think that ECOWAS should reconsider its current decision of taking side in the leadership crisis in Ivory Coast, and Instead help to mediate on neutral grounds to support the unity and peace within West African countries.
