South Africa Defends Record in Ivory Coast After French President Chirac's Criticism

AFP ^ | February 3, 2005

[Shermy]

PRETORIA, Feb 3 (AFP) - South Africa on Thursday said it had achieved more in three months of peace efforts in Ivory Coast than previous brokers had in two years, rebutting remarks from French President Jacques Chirac who said Thabo Mbeki's peace missions had "not had a very great impact."

On a visit to Senegal, Chirac said that the South African president, who is the African Union's mediator on Ivory Coast, lacked the understanding of the psychology and soul of west Africa.

"President Mbeki was called in to break the deadlock," said Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad in response to questions from reporters about the French president's remarks.

"In three months, we have achieved more than was achieved in the previous two years," he said.

Ivory Coast, the world's top producer of cocoa, has been split since September 2002, when a military mutiny failed to topple President Laurent Gbagbo but the rebels gained control of the northern half of the country.

The two sides have been kept apart by United Nations and French peacekeepers.

Under an accord signed at Marcoussis in France in January 2003, a government of national unity was formed in Ivory Coast, but an attack by government forces on northern positions in November halted any progress toward compromise.

In Dakar on Wednesday, Chirac said that France supported Mbeki's efforts but added: "Up until now, it has not had a very great impact."

"West Africa is west Africa. It has its own characteristics. You have to know it well. I very much hope that Mbeki, whose work we support, will now immerse himself in west Africa so as to understand its psychology and soul," Chirac said.

Pahad stressed that Mbeki was asked by the African Union to intervene because the peace process launched under the French-brokered Marcoussis accord had broken down and stressed that South Africa was making an honest effort.

"The problem in Cote d'Ivoire is nobody trusts President Laurent Gbagbo. The military attacks he launched last November were a real setback. We are working on this and other issues," said Pahad.

"We do not pretend to have a magic wand and we never refuse assistance from those who know better," he said.

Mbeki has traveled to Ivory Coast three times since he took up the AU role as chief mediator for Ivory Coast and has hosted talks in Pretoria with opposition and rebel leaders to try to point the way towards restoring peace in the former French colony.

[cyborg]

Now if only he can take care of the townships where women have to walk arm in arm ten women deep.

[Shermy]

Reminds me of Chirac's criticism of American policy not being "sophisticated."

[Shermy]

Don't know exactly what you're talking about but I thought Chirac lecturing to the South Afican on Africa's "soul" and "psychology" was quite the gem - especially since Chirac himself failed.

I thought this parallels with Chirac's lecturing to us on Iraq.

[cyborg]

I thought it was ironic that Mbeki would be called in to do anything in light of his own domestic issues.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From another thread:

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Chirac is shocked that anyone would say he was lecturing us.

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

I wonder when someone is going to clue him in to the fact that "French Equatorial Africa" is no longer a viable political or geographical entity.