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NEWS > EVERYONE ELSE > LAURENT GBAGBO SETTLES IN FOR A NEW YEAR AS LEADER OF IVORY COAST
LAURENT GBAGBO SETTLES IN FOR A NEW YEAR AS LEADER OF IVORY COAST
January 2 2010
Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire – For thousands of years the African continent has known little but conflict. As the home of humanity and the base for the first human civilizations it would have seemed that there was nothing but success ahead for the 
region and the people that live there, but as the world has shifted so too has the destinies of the continent. The problems throughout the area are of course no secret, plagued by poverty, war, and political corruption, but despite those problems, some people still have faith that things will turn out alright.
Of course the path to peace and stability will not be an easy one. Thousands of years of strife and conflict cannot be undone readily and for change, real change, it may take generations but things have to start somewhere. For Laurent Gbagbo, the embattled President of The Ivory Coast, the time to start is now at the start of a new year. After apparently losing an election in November, Gbagbo has steadfastly remained in office despite public protests and serious threats from foreign countries, determined to bring change to his country and to the continent of Africa as a whole.
“We are not going to give up. Our greatest duty to our country is to defend it from foreign attack. I will not cede power. These attacks amount to attempted coup d’état carried out under the banner of the international community and we will not cede to these pressures. For centuries the people of Africa have suffered under the yoke of foreign influences but that ends this year and forever,” said Gbagbo in a public address. “We will not accept the will of the rest of the world which continues to seek the subjugation of the African continent. The strength of our people will shine through this crisis and we will define a new path for the people of The Ivory Coast and the people of our continent.”
By all definitions Gbagbo lost the Presidential elections, which had been delayed by five years, to Alassane Ouattara. Members of the African Unions have been threatening to remove him by force should he remain in office.
“This is a really delicate situation. The Ivory Coast has been in turmoil for a great number of years but it has, in recent years, largely stabilized at least relative to what it had been. That is due in part Gbagbo but largely to do with external influences, namely rules against conflict diamonds,” said Scrape TV African analyst Claude Contee. “There has been a great deal of pressure to remove Gbagbo from office largely because he lost the election. I mean in a democratic election one expects the loser to leave office, but that is not what happened here. However great things have rarely been accomplished with the full support of the people. Rebels have always been the ones to change the world, and Africa desperately needs change.”
Gbagbo seized power in a military coup in 2000. He has also resisted departure even at the behest of the United States and even refused Barack Obama’s phone call.
“Change has been a promise in Africa for a number of years and little has come of course. There is no guarantee that Gbagbo will bring anything different to the table but, to be fair, no one else has either. Perhaps it’s this rebellious spirit that is required to bring real change,” continued Contee. “Regardless, it doesn’t look as though he will be leaving office anytime soon. He has settled n for the new year and it will take a lot of effort to remove him, but even then the rebellion may not end. People who can truly bring change are not dissuaded that easily.”
Gbagbo and his forces have reportedly already put down at least 200 people who threatened his rule.
Emil Uliya, International Correspondent
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