Don’t Recognize Ouattara - Gbagbo’s Daughter Tells Mills

The daughter of former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo is asking Ghana’s President not to recognize Allasane Ouatttara as President of Ivory Coast. Marie Antoinette Singleton, who spoke from her base in the United States, told Citi News recognising the Ouattara Presidency would send a signal to other would-be leaders, especially in Africa, that the use of violence was an accepted method for winning power, irrespective of laws and constitutions. Asked if Ghana should recognize the Presidency of Allasane Ouatarra, she declared “To me I think he (President Mills) should not. First because he (Ouattara) is not recognized by the constitution of Cote D’Ivoire, and second because he was put in power through violence. If African nations deal with him as president, that means that that’s the new way to become president now, and it would go round. "So to me President Mills should do like the president of Gambia and refuse to deal with him, refuse to recognize him as President (see www.citifmonline.com/index.php?id=1.287155.1.359835). “The terror regime that is being installed in Cote d’Ivoire at this point by Mr Ouattarra is not good for the sub-region so if Ghana feels that its okay for Cote d’Ivoire to go through this and we don’t have to complain about it, that Ghana’s decision. It will be an unfortunate one, but it will be Ghana’s decision. "Ghanaians also live in Cote d’Ivoire, so the detention that is going on is not only experienced by the Ivoirians, but all the Africans who also live there. So if one thinks that this is a pleasant situation for the people and the residents of Cote d’Ivoire to go through, and the other nations feel that they don’t have to complain about a thing, then we can all feel sorry for Africa.” The 36 year old said her father saw Ghana’s President as an ally and wondered why President Mills did not come out to vehemently denounce the UN-French led military action against her father’s government. “Yes, President Mills is one of our allies, because I know he pulled Ghanaian troops from the UN group … but African countries could have done a lot more than they did, and it’s unfortunate. Former President of Ghana, President Rawlings came up and spoke also, but our voices don’t count. “…I believe (President Mills) should have continued to denounce violence, the use of force as an alternative. He could have helped President Gbagbo push for the solution of a recount” Laurent Gbagbo was arrested on Monday April 11, 2011, bringing to an end to a potential civil war that has claimed hundreds of lives in the cocoa-producing West African nation. After days of holding out, his compound was stormed by troops allegedly led by French U.N. soldiers, although this has been denied by Ivorian, French and U.N. sources. Gbagbo's refusal to accept that he lost a presidential election to Alassane Ouattara last year plunged the country into a near-civil war. He was arrested "to stop these killings, this fighting," the country’s ambassador to the UN said. Marie Antoinette Singleton, one of Mr Gbagbo’s seven children, told Citi News she had not heard from her mother or father, although international media reports indicated he was being held in the north of Abidjan. Her siblings had however been released, according to media reports, she said. She denied that Mr. Gbagbo had sought asylum in Ghana.

Source: citifmonline.com