Ghanaian President John Kufuor on Wednesday flew to Côte d’Ivoire in a bid to defuse a looming crisis as opposition parties prepared to defy a ban on demonstrations by President Laurent Gbagbo, a government source said in Abidjan.
Kufuor is to intervene in his capacity as president of the Economic Community of West African States.
He is scheduled to meet all parties to the long-running dispute in Côte d’Ivoire, as well as members of an international committee monitoring compliance with a peace accord reached at Marcoussis, near Paris, in January 2003 between Gbagbo’s backers, rebels who rose up against him and the political opposition.
The rebels — whose uprising against Gbagbo in September 2002 rapidly turned into civil war — and members of the political opposition have called for a demonstration against Gbagbo on Thursday, in defiance of a ban on such public gatherings declared by the president himself.
The demonstration has been called to protest at what Gbagbo’s opponents call his refusal to implement the Marcoussis accord, which called, among others, for Gbagbo to cede some of his executive powers to a prime minister and brought the former rebels into a unity government.
The Foreign Minister of regional military powerhouse Nigeria, Olu Adeniji, was also expected to take part in the talks to try to defuse the crisis, the government source said.
Gbagbo has banned all street demonstrations until April 30, and requisitioned the army to maintain order.
He has called on the opposition to renounce the demonstration ”in the national interest”.
The commanders of the presidential and national guards have warned that any demonstrator who enters a ”red zone” around the presidential palace will be regarded as an enemy combatant and shot without warning.
A heavy military presence was seen at strategic points around the capital, as MI-24 combat helicopters flew at low altitude overhead.
The government has ordered schools closed on Thursday and Friday. — Sapa-AFP