UN Chief Seeks Nigeria's Intervention In Cote d'Ivoire

UN Chief Seeks Nigeria's Intervention In Cote d'Ivoire

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has called on Nigeria's President, Goodluck Jonathan to seek for a coordinated response to the electoral crisis in Cote d'Ivoire.
 
UN spokesperson, Martin Nesirky, said this at the UN on Monday while addressing newsmen.

Nesirky also said that the Ban also called on Burkina Faso's President, Blaise Compaoré and Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi, Chair of the African Union (AU).

He said that Ban was also in close contact with Jean Ping, Chair of the Commission of The AU, and was consulting with former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is currently in Côte d'Ivoire on behalf of the AU.

ECOWAS holds meeting

Meanwhile, W est African leaders have sought to defuse a power struggle in Cote d'Ivoire on Tuesday as they arrived in Nigeria for emergency talks.

Earlier mediation efforts by South African president , Thabo Mbeki ended in a deadlock without a deal.

Election crisis

Disagreement over the outcome of last month's presidential election in Ivory Coast, the world's top cocoa grower, has raised the risk of renewed violence in the country.

Incumbent Laurent Gbagbo was sworn in as president last week after the electoral commission had declared Alassane Ouattara the winner of the November 28 election.

Leaders from countries including Burkina Faso, Ghana, Liberia and Senegal arrived in the Nigerian capital Abuja for a meeting of the 15 -nation ECOWAS, a regional body which has declared support for Ouattara.

ECOWAS' spokesman, Sunny Ugoh said that the meeting was an opportunity for heads of state to pool their collective wisdom to see how they can advance the process.

Security situation

The streets of the Ivory Coast capital Abidjan hummed with traffic as normal on Tuesday but diplomats said the local United Nations mission was considering evacuating non-essential staff as security became more uncertain.

Effects emerging

Cocoa futures in London hit new highs on fears of disruptions to world supplies, more importantly from Cote D'Ivorie, one of the largest cocoa producers with the second-month futures contract up over 1.5 percent at 2,081 pounds a tonne.

South African president, Thabo Mbeki ended a mediation mission to Ivory Coast on Monday after failing to break the deadlock. One source from an ECOWAS country said Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore would now step up his role.

NAN/Williams/ Qasim