EU condemns violent attitude against the UN Gbagbo

United States strongly condemned "the incitement to violence" of the regime of outgoing President of the Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo, and his followers against the forces of UN peacekeepers deployed in the African country. "We are increasingly concerned about the incitement of the Gbagbo regime against peacekeepers of the UN," said State Department spokesman, Philip Crowley.

In his daily briefing, the spokesman also announced that the Government of President Barack Obama has given his "blessing" to the next candidate for ambassador to the White House appointed by ALßAN Ouattara, recognized by the international community as the elected president of Coast Ivory, but declined to reveal his name until the diplomat did not get to Washington.

"We look forward to the next two weeks," he said. According to Crowley, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Côte d'Ivoire, Philippe Mangou, lied when he told reporters yesterday that a patrol of the "blue helmets" of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) had left Abobo neighborhood in Abidjan, which overwhelmingly supports Alassane Ouattara, when in fact it had remained there throughout the night to protect civilians.

The spokesman condemned the fact that forces loyal to Gbagbo have attacked and burned UN vehicles, incident in which slightly injured three "blue helmets," said Crowley. Also repudiated that have blocked the way for a convoy of UNOCI was going to the Golf Hotel and have been looted. "We strongly condemn interference with the work of the UN operation in Ivory Coast," he said.

"We see it as a violation of the sanctions the Security Council of the UN," he added. On the other hand, the spokesman said he was "very concerned" about the "anti-UN feeling" that promote Gbagbo, his team and their fans through media controlled by the Ivorian State.

• Ivory Coast standoff: Hit Gbagbo where it hurts -- take away the power of the purse (13/01/2011)
• EU 'to ban Ivory Coast's Gbagbo' (20/12/2010)
• EU 'to ban Ivory Coast's Gbagbo' - BBC News (20/12/2010)
• Obasanjo explores options for peace in Ivorian crisis (10/01/2011)
• EU moves ahead with sanctions against Gbagbo (20/12/2010)

European Union (wikipedia)  Laurent Gbagbo (wikipedia)