ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — The man who refuses to leave Ivory Coast’s presidency faced new threats to his grasp on power Saturday after regional leaders threatened to remove him by force if necessary.
Diplomatic pressure and sanctions have left Laurent Gbagbo increasingly isolated, although he has been able to maintain his rule nearly a month after a disputed election because of the loyalty of security forces and the military.
Even that, though, may disappear if he runs out of money to pay them.
Late Friday, West Africa leaders from the 15-country regional bloc ECOWAS — Economic Community of West African States — threatened to send military intervention if Gbagbo refuses to step down.
“In the event that Mr. Gbagbo fails to heed this immutable demand of ECOWAS, the Community would be left with no alternative but to take other measures, including the use of legitimate force, to achieve the goals of the Ivorian people,” said an ECOWAS statement.
ECOWAS president James Gbeho said the bloc would send in a high-level delegation to meet with Gbagbo, but he did not say when the delegation would go or offer a deadline for Gbagbo.
The threat of force came on the tail of another serious international reproach, this one from the West African economic and monetary union, which called on the regional central bank to cut off Gbagbo’s access to state coffers.
Gbagbo spokesman Ahoua Don Mello on Saturday called the move “illegal and manifestly beyond their competence.”
Gbagbo has refused to step down from the presidency despite international calls for his ouster from the U.N., U.S., former colonizer France, the European Union and the African Union. The international community recognizes Alassane Ouattara as the winner of the recent elections.
In recent days, the United Nations has expressed alarm about the actions of men who are believed to be Gbagbo loyalists. At least 173 deaths have been confirmed in violence over the presidential vote.
Masked gunmen with rocket launchers have blocked access to what officials believe may be a mass grave site, the United Nations said.
Cocoa embargo hardly an option
Ivory Coast is the world’s biggest cocoa grower, producing 40 percent of the world’s supply. While a cocoa embargo might have a more immediate impact on Laurent Gbagbo’s ability to govern, European and American business interests prevent this from being seriously considered, said African security analyst Peter Pham.
