AAPSO ON THE SITUATION IN COTE D' IVOIRE
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The Afro-Asian Peoples' Solidarity Organisation- AAPSO- is deeply concerned about the serious deterioration of the situation in Cote d' Ivoire.
Although the country is back to a semblance of relative calm, the recent events marked by killings, violences and other atrocities have proven that the causes of hostilities are deeply rooted. The raw materials rich country Cote d'Ivoire has exploited its resources, employing millions of workers from neighbouring states triggering the issues of ethnicity, the political- and wealth-sharing among the Ivorian people. These issues had reached a dimension about commitments over the policy to rule the country.It is sad that these hostilities had taken a racist and xenophobic connotation which led to massacres.
In view of the fact that all parties in the conflict were not ready to commit themselves to reach an appropriate agreement leading to a final settlement of the conflict, AAPSO urges the people of Cote d' Ivoire to put an end to all kinds of hostilities, to exercice minimum restraint in order to maintain the safety and protection of all life and property in the country. Dialogue and negotiations between the parties of the crisis should be conducted leading to effective reconciliation among Ivorian people.
AAPSO has welcomed and supported the efforts made by the African Union aimed at solving the issue in Cote d' Ivoire particularly the decision adopted by its Peace and Security Council on 8 November 2004 which urged the government of Cote d' Ivoire and all parties involved in the crisis to exercise maximum restraint, to desist from any pronouncements that incite hatred and violence. The Council also reiterated the imperative need for political solution to the conflict and to put an immediate end to military action and other hostilities acts.
It has hailed also the resolution adopted by the UN Security Council concerning the embargo on arms to be imposed on the parties involved, governments and rebel groups alike, with immediate effect, as well as all its relevant decisions pertaining to the crisis.
AAPSO hopes that the all Ivorian people will find the ways and means to settle the present crisis by themselves to prevent any deterioration to destabilise the entire region of this part of Africa and calls on the United Nations, the African Union and the international community as a whole to remain actively alert and vigilant vis-à-vis the responsibles of the crisis who are also called on to take necessary measures to bring the country back to normality.