News from Africa

Uganda’s President opposes UN on Ouattara

Jan 25, 2011

Williams Ekanem with agency reports.

Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda, has joined the list of African leaders opposed to the removal of the sitting president Gbagbo as he opposed the UN recognition of Alassane Ouattara as winner of Cote d’ Ivore’s election and wants an African Union probe into the poll.

Other African Presidents opposed to ECOWAS and United Nations’ position on Cote d’Ivoire are Ghana and South Africa.

Museveni’s spokesman, Tamale Mirundi stated this on Tuesday.

Agency reports quoted him as saying that “Uganda differs with the UN and the international community on Cote d’ Ivore,” Mirundi told Uganda’s Daily Monitor newspaper, quoting Museveni.

UN certified electoral commission results showed incumbent Laurent Gbagbo had lost, but the result was overturned by the pro-Gbagbo Constitutional Council after it cancelled thousands of votes in Ouattara strongholds.

The West African regional bloc ECOWAS, the EU and the U.S. have sided with Ouattara and called for Gbagbo to step down immediately, but he has refused.

According to the reports, South African President Jacob Zuma said last week after meeting Museveni that there were “discrepancies” in the way the result was announced.

Angola is also seen as a potential weak point in AU unity on Cote d’ Ivore, while Ghana has said it will not take sides.

Mirundi said Museveni agreed with Zuma that an alternative approach to Cote d’ Ivore crisis was better.

“Each country has a constitution and framework within which to solve internal problems, so it is not up to the UN or international community to recognise this or that winner; the matter must be investigated.

“There is need for a serious approach that involves investigating the electoral process, including registration of voters and who voted, not just declaring who has won,” Mirundi quoted Museveni as saying.