On
Cote
d'Ivoire, US Now Aware of Detentions in Golf Hotel, Death of
Tagro, on Due Process Says "Ask Ouattara"
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
WASHINGTON,
April
16 -- As reports of detention, beatings and even murder of
supporters of Laurent Gbagbo grow, the US State Department has
belatedly comments on the issue.
At
the State
Department briefing on April 14, Inner City Press asked spokesman
Mark Toner about those detained in the Golf Hotel, and about the
death of Gbagbo minister Desire Tagro. Toner said these
were fair
questions that he would look into and answer.
On
April 15 Inner
City Press went to the State Department at the same time and waited,
but was later told that there was no briefing. On the morning of
April 16 Inner City Press re-sent the Cote d'Ivoire and other
questions, and Toner to his credit by noon provided this:
Here’s
the
latest I’ve got (from yesterday):
We
understand
members of former President Gbagbo’s entourage are being
held at the Golf Hotel. They remain there, under UN protection, for
their own safety.
We
continue
to discuss with President Ouattara and his government future
proceedings.
Questions
regarding
the prosecution of former President Gbagbo and his
entourage are best answered by President Ouattara. In his April 13
news conference he announced that his Minister of Justice will
publicly address this issue at a future date.
Gbagbo et fils displayed on
Ouattara TV, UN silent, Tagro not shown
Reportedly,
Desire
Tagro was gravely injured during the protracted holdout at the
presidential residence. Once he was captured, President Ouattara
immediately sent him to Abidjan’s main hospital for treatment and
he passed away during the night. We have no information or reports
that he was injured or died as a result of mistreatment by Ouattara
forces.
President
Ouattara
repeatedly called upon his forces to deliver Gbagbo and his
associates unharmed.
Status
of
bilateral assistance: The U.S. government is reviewing all
bilateral restrictions and sanctions in light of democratically
elected President Ouattara’s assumption of power.
On
this, on the
sidelines of the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings in DC, Robert
Zoellick spoke about Cote d'Ivoire, where the World Bank is
re-starting programs. But what about these human rights issues, and
what they are calling reconciliation?
There
are reports on who killed Tagro -- how does the US not have, and will
it seek, information on these topics? We'll have more. Watch this site.
* * *
In
Cote
d'Ivoire,
Tagro Treatment Unclear, HRW on Gbagbo Photo,
UN Silent
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
April
13 -- Since French tanks surrounded Laurent Gbagbo's
residence and his and others were spirited into custody of the
Ouattara forces, much of the human rights reporting on Cote d'Ivoire
has changed.
While
initial
reporting
on the killing of hundreds of people in Duekoue blamed it
on Ouattara's forces, now it is more common to say that it unclear,
and to congratulate calls for an investigation.
Just
as
supporters
of Ouattara decried his blockade inside the Golf Hotel, now
supporters of Gbagbo speak of 107 people held in the Golf Hotel in
conditions that don't comply with international law.
Human
Rights
Watch
on Wednesday congratulated the UN speech of Ouattara's
representative, laying the onus on the international community to
follow through. But there are those in Abidjan and beyond who are
dubious of Ouattara's new found agnosticism on who committed the
murders in Duekoue.
There
are
reports
that Gbagbo supporter Desire Tangro was beaten to death. The mystery
of his treatment has been reported not only in Abidjan, but even in
the Sidney Morning Herald.
When
Human
Rights
Watch chided Inner City Press for contrasting HRW's praise of Bamba's
with Amnesty International's call for the UN to do more to protect
civilians in Western Cote d'Ivoire, including from Ouattara
supporters, Inner City asked in response for a comment on the photo
of Simone Gbagbo surrounded by Ouattara soldiers -- is it doctored?
-- and about Tangro.
The
response from
HRW to Inner City Press was that
“showing
footage of [Laurent Gbagbo] in his undershirt was inappropriate and
undignified. He should not be subjected to public curiosity or
humiliation. Beyond that, we don’t have first hand information,
including on the picture of Simone
Gbagbo you mentioned or the death
of Desire Tagro.”
Even
on
showing
footage of Laurent Gbagbo in his undershirt, the UN has yet to speak
out. History, and apparently the human rights reports of some, are
written by the victors. Watch this site.
* * *
On
Cote
d'Ivoire,
Bamba Says Gbagbo Arrested Not By France But Ouattara
Forces
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
April
11,
updated -- After wire services in Abidjan reported that the
French tanks from the Force Licorne assaulted the residence of
defiant leader Laurent Gbagbo, seized him and turned him over to
Alassane Ouattara's forces, Ouattara's envoy to the UN called Inner
City Press over.
“Tell your
colleagues,” he said. “I have an announcement to make.”
As
UN TV fine
tuned its microphone and Inner City Press announced the impromptu
stakeout by Twitter, Bamba stepped to the mic. As a major US news
channel begged him to do it “first in English,” Bamba announced
the arrest of Gbagbo in French.
Inner
City
Press
asked
Bamba to confirm or deny that the French Force Licorne actually
took custody of Gbagbo, then handed him over to Ouattara's forces.
No,
Bamba said,
denying it. The Forces Republicain de Cote Ivoire made the arrest.
It
seems important
to establish this basic fact. Moments later, as France's Permanent
Representative to the UN Gerard Araud and his spokesman walked into
the Security Council, Inner City Press asked them both, “Who
arrested Gbagbo?”
Neither
one
answered,
or
even turned back. It is unclear if this is related to previous
Press coverage of Cote d'Ivoire, click here
to view.
Inner
City
Press
asked
Bamba if he expected the Security Council to issue a statement
about the arrest of Gbagbo. “First they have to hear from [top
Peacekeeper Alain] Le Roy,” he answered.
It
was quickly
announced that Le Roy would brief the Council at 10:30 am. As he went
in, Inner City Press asked him, “who arrested Gbagbo?”
Le
Roy to his
credit stopped and answered. He said, “He's in the custody of
Ouattara forces, in Golf Hotel, we provide security.”
But
that doesn't
answer who arrested Gbagbo.
Update of 10:58 am
-- Inner City Press asked US Permanent Representative Susan Rice,
"who arrested Gbagbo, the forces of Ouattara?" She said she didn't have
more information, but "that's what the PR said," referring to Bamba.
Multiple
reports say that over 30 French tanks (or armored vehicles), each with
four to eight French soldiers inside, moved on Gbagbo's residence on
Monday morning, after France and the UN hit it with air strikes
overnight. The question of who "made" the arrest is a broader one.
Ban & Juppe, joint demand of letter as condition not shown
Le Roy instructed a
staff member to show
him a cable before it is send to Ban Ki-moon's envoy Choi Young-jin.
Inner
City
Press
asked
Bamba if Ouattara's force intend to arrest Djedje. Bamba shook
his head and said, “He has been in the French embassy for some
days.”
Rats
leave
a
sinking
ship, a source snarks for Abidjan. A Permanent Five member
of the Council's spokesman told Inner City Press, of the (French)
arrest, “It is a strange precedent.” But would this member's
Ambassador come say this on camera at the stakeout, on the record?
Watch this site.
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