On
Cote
d'Ivoire, As DRC Complains, Choi Young-jin Speaks of Impartiality &
Undershirts, The Death of Desire Tagro
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
April 19 -- On Cote d'Ivoire, two Press interviews outside
the Security Council on April 19 cast light on the state of play. The
Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
stopped and complained to Inner City Press about the UN's actions in
Abidjan.
He
disagreed that things are “over,” citing the charges
against Ouattara and Soro and their forces in Duekoue.
“In DRC we have
a vice president,” he said, “who is in jail in The Hague for
things they say his soldiers did. And so who was responsible for
Duekoue?”
Inner
City Press
also stopped and spoke with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's envoy to
Cote d'Ivoire, Choi Young-jin, asking him specifically about the
reported death of Gbagbo's doctor Christophe Ble, about the photos of
Gbagbo in his undershirt and the UN not saying where Gbagbo is.
Choi
said he did
not know about Christophe Ble, but “One people I am sure who died
was Tagro. We transported him by helicopter to the hospital, next day
we informed he died.”
There
are videos
circulating about the death of Tagro,
of which Inner City Press is
completing a review.
When
Inner City
Press asked again about Christophe Ble, Choi said that “Cote
d'Ivoire is a country with incredible rumors.”
The
UN has refused
to confirm where it is that they are providing protection to Gbagbo.
Inner City Press asked Choi, “Korogho” and he nodded, calling it
“the most peaceful town during the crisis... the best place to keep
him.”
But
why not say
where he is? Choi said there is “a slight nuance - we contribute
to the protection. That is why we can't tell. They are doing the
internal protection. It's [Ouattara's] job. We are assisting him.”
Choi
said, “when
Gbagbo came to, was brought to, Golf Hotel, I went to se him next
day. I told him we would contribue to his protection and that...
he'll be treated with dignity.”
Inner
City Press
asked about the photos of Gbagbo in his undershirt. Choi said, “I
think that was when they tried to put the flack jacket, he could be
killed easily during transport.”
Gbagbo et fils displayed on
Ouattara TV, Choi says flak jacket
On
Inner City
Press' other questions about treatment, Choi said he couldn't answer,
“We were not there, because of military impartiality.”
But
the
Democratic Republic of the Congo Permanent Representative is not the
only one questioning the UN's impartiality. Ban Ki-moon is headed to
Russia, where he will presumably discuss this and other Russian
complaints. Ban gambled -- will it pay off for him? Watch this site.
* * *
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.
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.
, 
