By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, December 13 -- As in Abidjan Laurent Gbagbo's soldiers had a stand off with UN peacekeeping troops, across from the UN in New York a group of protesters Monday morning demanded that the UN do more to ensure Gbagbo leaves power.
The UN Security Council members were out of town, down in Washington with US Ambassador Susan Rice. But Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was at UN Headquarters, and was the target of a letter from the demonstrators.
They called for the full recognition of Alassane Ouattara as the winner of the delayed Ivorian election, and said that “Gbagbo has the lone support of Angola.”
“They have their families and their money there,” a protest leader told Inner City Press, predicting that in the best case scenario, Gbagbo will go into exile in Angola. Interestingly, Angola's co member of the Lusophone group Portugal is joining the Security Council on January 1.
Human rights rogue and Lusophone wannabe Equatorial Guinea is also in touch with Gbagbo, as is Benin reportedly.
Anti-Gbagbo protesters at UN Dec 13, UNSC and Gbagbo dips not shown (c) MRLee
Inner City Press on December 9 asked Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky if the UN is still dealing with Gbagbo's diplomats:
Inner City Press: after you read out the Security Council’s statement yesterday supporting ECOWAS [Economic Community of West African States], which recognized Mr. Ouattara as the new President of Côte d'Ivoire; I just wondered, what does this mean toward, for the UN treatment of the existing Côte d'Ivoire diplomats who were appointed by no longer President, apparently in the international view, [Laurent] Gbagbo? Are they still, what’s the process, I guess? Do they continue to be viewed by the United Nations as the legitimate representatives of Côte d'Ivoire? The former Ambassador here is now the Foreign Minister under Gbagbo. So, I just wondered.
Spokesperson Nesirky: I think there is a set process; there is a Credentials Committee that handles these matters. And I think that that’s the route — speaking in general terms, not about this specific case. Okay, thank you very much, everyone.
Even asked again on Monday about the UN's dealings with Gbagbo's diplomats, Ban's spokesman Nesirky dodged the question.
