Ivory Coast’s ruler Gbagbo declines African Union talks wt Ouattara

Ivory Coast’s ruler Gbagbo declines African Union talks wt Ouattara

special to USAfricaonline.com

Embattled Ivory Coast sitting President Laurent Gbagbo has decided against attending the African Union-hosted talks with his rival Alassane Ouattara for the west African country’s top position scheduled for Thursday March 10, 2011 in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.

USAfricaonline.com has learned from a statement by Gbagbo’s ruling Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) party that his reason for staying back is “because of the deterioration of the domestic security situation.”

Part of that reality is that the opposition forces are reportedly gaining grounds on a few of Gbagbo’s areas of influence.

Gbagbo has sent his party’s leader Pascal Affi N’Guessan and Ivory Coast’s foreign minister Alcide Djedje to make his case at the meeting.

Meanwhile, the price of cocoa and its related beverages are rising as news of the nationalization of aspects of that sector in Ivory Coast’s economy by Gbagbo are emerging.