EP President reaction on the Ivory Coast crisis

European Parliament president, Jerzy Buzek, said that the crisis which is suffering in Ivory Coast could have been avoided if Mr Gbagbo had accepted the democratic will of the people. After the arrest of defeated Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo on 11 April, Buzek called on incoming President Alassane Ouattara to foster national reconciliation but to ensure that crimes against civilians are punished.

EP president stated that he “regrets that the full transfer of power to Alassane Ouattara could only be achieved at the price of human lives and of a grave humanitarian crisis…The people of Ivory Coast are, finally, closer to achieving what was ultimately the aim of the November elections: an end to the military and political crisis that has gripped Côte d’Ivoire since 2002".

MEPs were united in condemning the situation in plenary. They also condemned the violence in Ivory Coast, welcomed the international intervention of French and UN troops, who are trying to protect civilians, and called for swift justice against those who had committed crimes against  the civilian population. For the Council, Hungary's Zsolt Németh added, "Ouattara has won the war, he should now win the peace".

Humanitarian aid

The EU has sent aid to Ivory Coast worth around half a billion euros since 2003. Moreover, the electoral observation mission sent to the elections supported the recognition by the international community of Alassane Ouattara in the last elections held in november 2010.  On the other hand, EU has taken restrictive measures against any person or entity that could provide financial support to the ex-president Gbagbo.