Prime Minister Raila Odinga wants the international community to coerce president of Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo out of power to avert a recurrence of a civil strife in the West African country.
Raila Amolo Odinga Chuma Liet Mar Laurent Gbagbo.
He asked the United Nation and The African Union to act decisively in forcing the incumbent president to concede defeat and relinquish power to opposition leader Alassane Ouattara who won the recent general polls.
"The United Nations African Union and Other International bodies and leaders have recognized that Mr. Ouattara as the winner. The next step must be to ensure that recognition translates into transfer of power" Odinga said.
He proposed to the international community to use all means including military intervention and sanctions to force Gbagbo to hand over power arguing that the trend was retrogressive to the democratic gains the continent had made.
The Premier told an international press conference at his office that a decision must be made urgently as the intended sanction may only be applicable after innocent civilians were killed or maimed in the ensuing power struggles and chaos.
Laurent Gbagbo
"The world Cannot Expect Gbagbo to act in the interest of democracy or to make a decision that favours his people when he defies a decision the citizen delivered through the ballot" he stressed.
Odinga expressed fears that the World might soon relapse into the coming Christmas festivities and forget the dilemma the Ivorians were facing and urged leaders to safeguard the interest of the civilians.
The Premier was reacting to reports to the effect that a civil war was looming large in Ivorian capital Abidjan after forces loyal to Defeated President Gbagbo opened fire on protesters.
Preliminary reports indicated that at least nine supporters of Opposition Leader Ouattara were shot dead after attempting to march to the head quarters of the state run television. KBC
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