Mr Sarkozy "President of Côte d'Ivoire Alassane Ouattara called"

Saint-Dizier (Haute-Marne), special correspondent - "President of Côte d'Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara called and he was selected by the Ivorians," said Nicolas Sarkozy, during his greetings to the armed forces, Air Base Saint-Dizier (Haute-Marne), Tuesday, Jan. 4. The head of state has clearly reaffirmed France's support to Mr.

Ouattara, who won the recent presidential elections in Côte d'Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo, who, in power since 2000, refuses to give way. "The soldiers of France did not intend to interfere in the internal affairs of Cote d'Ivoire. They act under a UN mandate," said the head of state. Mr Sarkozy has called on all parties to respect the choice of the Ivorian people.

" He said the "stakes challenge" beyond the case of Côte d'Ivoire: "They cover the whole of Africa, a billion people. African States (...) each building in the context that is their life Democratic, and the first requirement of a democracy is respect for universal suffrage. " The president also raised the issue of protection of nationals french, that is, for him, "a priority mission of the armed forces and now the first concern of the 900 men of the Licorne force," the rapid reaction force in the service of UNOCI, the UN mission in Côte d'Ivoire.

The French defense minister, Alain Juppe, said earlier Tuesday morning, on Europe 1 that "France will not initiate a military intervention" to try to resolve the crisis in Côte d'Ivoire . "The international community must not yield, it is a tremendously important issue for Africa," added the minister.

If President Gbagbo "does not give up, he must go further in the use of sanctions," he said. Nathalie Guibert

• Uncertain Election Results in Côte d'Ivoire Leave the Country on Edge (11/12/2010)
• Côte d'Ivoire: Ivorian Internet Users Fear a New Era of Terror in Abidjan (20/12/2010)
• Côte d'Ivoire suspended from African Union (11/12/2010)
• Calamitous Côte d'Ivoire: Another big test for Africa (09/12/2010)
• Letter From Côte d'Ivoire: Living on the Cusp of Civil War (17/12/2010)

Alassane Ouattara (wikipedia)  Côte d'Ivoire (geolocation)  Côte d'Ivoire (wikipedia)