Behind the scene of a global media manipulation[/color]


[img]http://www.kernews.fr/images/Inter/Alcidedjedje.gif[/img]




[b]This is the first interview given by His Excellency Alcide Djédjé, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire to a French media after the recent presidential elections in Côte d’Ivoire. He is denouncing the interference of the United Nations, led by France and the United-States, within the leadership of a sovereign country. This exclusive interview was broadcasted on Monday, 13th December on radio Kernews. You will find below the transcript with some required rewriting modifications of an oral conversation. Because of the sensitive nature of this case, we highlight the fact that only the recording of the voice should be considered as the perfect mirror of His Excellency’s speech and tone. The diplomat who studied in Sciences Po, France, worked as a Permanent Representative of Côte d’Ivoire to the UN. President Laurent Gbagbo gave him his trust and appointed him as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs.[/b]Duration: 30 minutes. To listen to the interview with Mr Alcide Djédjé please click on play:

Kernews: What’s happening in Côte d’Ivoire? Why do you think Paris and Washington have taken such a stance on the question of Côte d’Ivoire’s inner politics? Do you consider it to be an interference in a sovereign country’s domestic affairs?

Alcide Djédjé: Yes I do. France and The United States have really interfered with Côte d’Ivoire’s domestic affairs. This started within the Security Council in New York, as a high degree of pressure was put on the UN external Services Representative so that the president of the independent Electoral Commission, which usually gathers in plenary sessions and by consensus, was brought to the premises of  UNOCI in Abidjan in order to declare the results. Mr Choi refused and called me to tell me so. That is how the President of the independent Electoral Commission, Mr Youssouf Bakayoko, was brought to the Hôtel du Golf, the campaign headquarters of Mr Ouattara, facing the foreign press, including France 24, in order to declare wrongful results. According to these results, the voting rate accounts for 81% (compared to 70%): we realized that more than 630 000 votes had been added after the closing of the polls. That’s what’s happening in the Côte d’Ivoire and this was caused by France and United States. The French Ambassador and the American Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire are very active. The day before, President Sarkozy had sent a message to the President of the independent Electoral Commission in order to ask him to declare results right away. I myself stood in front of members of the French military who were trying to hand this message over to the President of the independent Electoral Commission at 10:40 PM. This was reported to us by members of our country’s military. I went myself on this venue and I called the French Ambassador who ordered the members of the French military to go back to the Licorne camp, they seemed very embarrassed. [color=#990000]President Sarkozy’s instructions were followed the next day. Then, President Sarkozy and now President Wade, called President Jonathan Goodluck to influence the decision of the ECOWAS. Even worse, the American Embassy to Abidjan, whom I welcomed in my office, knew the future stance of the African Union. Thus it is not only interfering with our Home Affairs, but also a manipulation of the institutions such as ECOWAS and the African Union so that Alassane Ouattara is elected as President. Unfortunately for them, Mr Ouattara has not got any influence on the reality of the field here in Côte d’Ivoire. So we formed our government because President Gbagbo was elected as President of the Republic, even after the claims and the decisions made by the Constitutional Council which declared him as the President. This is the current situation in Abidjan.

Excellency, you have just reminded us this reality: the gap, the difference between the turnout at the polls and the number of votes, with almost 630 000 extra votes. In France, we used to say, a few decades ago, when there were ballot stuffing in some suburbs, that even dead people were voting…Apparently, things are not so different,

Yes, of course, we see that everything was arranged with a view to this illegal declaration of results, off the deadline, by the independent Electoral Commission. Whereas the thirty other members of the central Commission were waiting at the CEI headquarters, Mr Bakayoko was kidnapped by the French Ambassador and by the American Ambassador, surrounded by gendarmes of the “Forces nouvelles” and by the UN, in order to go and declare the results and what is worse, at the campaign headquarters of one of the candidates. All this, on French TV… I do not understand this hurry and we see today that it was really rude. This appears as something surreal and a too rude, too obvious,  I told the Ambassador of the United States that it was not a subtle way. One can have preferences, but you have to act in a subtle and responsible way. You cannot show and make people understand that our institutions are useless, fifty years after our independence was declared, show that the Constitutional Council is useless. Nevertheless, all of our institutions are made on the same pattern as similar institutions in France and in the United States. The validation, by the Supreme Court of the United States, of the first election of President Bush, is part of this reality. Nobody else, no other State protested against the validation of Mr. Bush by the Supreme Court. In France, there has been some non validations against Ms. Ségolène Royal, I do not have precise information on that, but that is the role of Constitutional Council in France. Why would it be the role of a Representative of the General Secretary of the United Nations in Côte d’Ivoire? Simply, you always think that our sovereignty has to be affected, that you should always put pressure on us and that, we cannot accept. We formed our government. Maybe you will come and try to step on us, chase us away from Côte d’Ivoire, and embark upon a purification process so that there is a Côte d’Ivoire as Mr. Sarkozy and American authorities want it to be. We hold our ground, the law is on our side, and we cannot accept a sovereign country, member of the United Nations, to be treated by a civil servant of the Unites States under the request of two state capitals, Paris and Washington.

The western media state that the international community is putting pressure on Laurent Gbagbo and his staff. What stands for the international community? Russia has a slightly divergent stance as well as numerous others countries. Does an international media community exist, the one which sets the tone in the international media, which shapes the global public opinion? Only this international media community would be important?

You are right. In this case, Russia adopted a very clear position. First of all, there was no presidential statement in New York, as Susan Rice, who currently chairs the Security Council for the USA, had expected. There was a press communiqué, which has not the same meaning and impact…And even the content of this press communiqué was discussed for a few days, which is very hardly the case. Finally, following the manipulation by the French President during the meeting of the ECOWAS, Russia allowed the release of this press communiqué, by principle, but did not agree and maintained his stance regarding the sovereignty of Côte d’Ivoire – saying that the Unites Nations are not commissioned to state results while presidential elections in a sovereign country. We met the Russian Representative after that and that does not mean Russia agreed with the decision. China, also, took a very clear stance. The Chinese government released a communiqué saying that the law has to prevail, institutions should be respected and that the political dialog should take place. That is the meaning of the Chinese communiqué. You are right to say that China, Russia and even South Africa, because that stance was not similar the ECOWAS’ nor the African Union’s opinion…but also Angola, Libya and CEN-SAD are very clear on that. Simply, what makes the difference, as you say, it is the media buzz: to make people believe, via the media, that President Gbagbo is isolated. The “buzz” was created but they did not go all the way because they were expecting the population to go out in the streets, saying that Laurent Gbagbo had lost and asks for his withdrawal, as the provisory results were declared in an illegal and incredible manner. Everything remained quiet because the President of the Republic has Côte d’Ivoire going for him and with him. He has got the military, the police, the gendarmerie and the population of Côte d’Ivoire. This is the reality of the field. Despite the media, it is not easy to take a country, otherwise than by force. All that they can do now is to come and invade Côte d’Ivoire and put Ouattara on top. Even after doing so, they will not be sure that Mr Ouattara can govern. Thus, you are right when you state that there is a kind of very strong media campaign, led by two capitals mainly, Paris and Washington, others behaving like opportunistic followers.

You mentioned some States, that the Pope met President Gbagbo by calling him with this title: does it mean the Vatican acknowledges the President Gbagbo?

Yes. Although it did not make any statement yet, the Vatican is very reticent to do so. Some countries are guarded about that but play their usual neutral part, such as Switzerland. What I can tell you is - make the difference between president Gbagbo and the powers that want to impose Mr Ouattara – we want to install peace in Côte d’Ivoire and they want to impose somebody on top in order to take advantage of this, because they are members of networks, networks of interests. They want to interfere in the affairs of Côte d’Ivoire, they want to make Côte d’Ivoire a trust territory in order to better control of our wealth. That is the difference between us and them. They do not care about the victims of a conflict that they are currently encouraging. They have started destabilizing and stopped being peacemakers. They use the United Nations to destabilize Côte d’Ivoire. What is happening is very worrying. The United Nations are destabilizing a country whereas the role of United Nations, its mission, is to be a peace maker. It is a very, very serious breach of duty.

This is the problem of global governance. These are permanent member states of the Security Council, with very important responsibilities, to bring back peace in the world, and, on the contrary, they use the United Nations to their own benefit for a matter of interests. No matter what can happen later. You can see that we were compelled to organize these elections without a demilitarization of the North! Can you imagine organizing elections in a region of Côte d’Ivoire where there are rebels about to fight? That is what happened. In late March, in my speech at the UN, I was Ambassador to New York, I and Mr Choi at that time did ask for reunification before the elections. France and United States refused and told us to run elections under these circumstances. I told them that elections represented a dogma for them, whereas we are looking for peace and not elections for elections. Today, here are the results: elections took place and the country is blocked. That is a failure for France and the United States. And they are responsible for the current situation in Côte d’Ivoire and for the current status quo. They have the capacity to manage the world properly. There is a problem of governance within the Security Council, especially France and United States, which brings parts of the world to a point of no return. It is so great to talk about good governance but global governance is unmanageable today. These days, France has no African policy. France only hits from time to time, just like in Côte d’Ivoire, by using some networks, which is a shame.

Two main ideas come forward through the conversation we just had. First of all, we attempted to carry out elections in a sovereign State, despite the fact that a fair share of this sovereign state’s territory is controlled by armed militia….

Yes.

Second of all, we spoke of the domain of Globale governance, which makes me want to ask you a more personnal question : this problem had already been raised at the time of the War in Irak, yet eventually nothing has been done for the past seven years…,

You are right, nothing has been done for the past seven years. It actually coincides with the start of the Côte d’Ivoire crisis in 2002. If you were to remember that at first it was the United Nations which were tasked with solving the problem in Côte d’Ivoire and insteaded of bringing peace in Côte d’Ivoire, France, following the Marcoussis Agreemments, had the Agreement endorsed by the United Nations and has continuously attempted to eject President Gbagbo instead of solving the problem of peace and reconciliation of Côte d’Ivoire. Consecutively we signed the Ouagadougou Agreements (APO).

We had had to hope, taking into account the mobilization by the Ivoirians and the help of President Compaoré, that elections would be held after the reunification. It was what was established in the Ouagadougou political agreements: the elections were to be held two month after the disarmament and reunification. Yet the United Nation, through France and the United-States, applied pressure by saying that President Gbagbo does not which to take part in elections and that yet it is possible to hold them now, etc…,  Since in New York it is France which is at the source of the Côte d’Ivoire resolution project. Even though President Gbagbo objected, they kept on and imposed that elections be held before the disarmament of the North and the reunification.   

There; by manipulation the United Nations, the ECOWAS et the African Union we obtain total failure in the case of Côte d’Ivoire and this raises the problem of Global governance. There are no objectives, there is no ideal of peace, there are only interest networks which matter this results in what we can witness today in Cote d’Ivoire, which in this case means a country spoiled by France and the United-Sates. They despise the institutions that Cote d’Ivoire has established which she has modelled on similar French and Northern American institutions, and who have already given their ruling such as in the elections of Mister Bush versus Mister Al Gore, and for which no one had a saying in it because it falls under the question of sovereignty.

Yet when its the case of Côte d’Ivoire, because it is a small country, maybe they thing that President Gbagbo is not within their network ? Maybe they thing that he must be ejected and grossly scorn some of the major principals which drive this world, meaning State sovereignty and the right of nations to self-determination ? It is outrageous that President Sarkozy and US and French Ambassadors intervene in such a disgraceful manner, laking finesse, in the institution sof a sovereign country. At the time that I am speaking to you, the US Ambassador is attempting to get in direct contact with the television network General manager (RTI) and other General managers. He does not follow the proper traditional diplomatic channels, meaning the targeted Minister or the Foreign Affaires Minister. He acts as if he is on territory with no leader and we are being re-colonized, fifty years after our independence.

In a territory with no leaders, in other times, we would have called this an act of war…

Yes it is an act of war. Taking into account that there has been no affront, certain things may be tolerated…,  for now.

In order to posses the keys of the full understanding of what may happen, maybe, in the coming days: we can read on the Internet messages explaining that your opposition may stage the sending of battalions of children in front, behind, the armed rebel forces, in order to possibly create mayhem in Abidjan and forced the Army in to reacting in front of the TV cameras to show the global viewers that President Gbagbo’s Army are combating children…,  What is your opinion on this ?

We are on the ground, I do not think that we may reach such levels. If they were to reach that level, you would be there to judge, this is already a global matter. Wanting to put children forward in front of the Ivoirian Army, let them take the responsibility. On our side, we would do all that is needed not reach such a situation. These are not classic methods of power wars.

Eventually, Pau Collier, professor at Oxford University, underlines that the Western world considers that its model of Democracy may be duplicated in other territories which do no possess the same culture or the same raised population issues. None the less, they consider that we are continuously being wrong. Doesn’t this crisis raise such problem ?

Yes. We could have accepted this fact and we accept it such as it is. But when we work following of sole interests, we scorn the western model. The example of Côte d’Ivoire is plain and simple. There are institutions, the Electoral Commission chairs in a collegial manner and in consensus, but those who advocate the democratic model step out of the path of law when the functioning of the institutions does not suite them anymore. They bring with them the independent Electoral Commission in one of the candidates’ campaign headquarters. It is unbelievable! It is the first time in the world that it happens! Afterwards, the Constitutional Council arbitration was challenged, where in their own democracy it is what was done. Even when you embrace their model, they act accordingly to their interests. Eventually, they do not have any ideal nor model. The public opinion is very strong in their countries and they have to respect their country’s democratic model. But in smaller countries, I believe that their model is dictatorship It is why I raise the issue of global governance which is totally adrift today, because of the United-States, in the case of Côte d’Ivoire.

Any African with  brains still working MUST KNOW that the west's extraordinary insistence on Gbagbo relinquishing power MUST have to do with consolidating their position as imperialist controllers of African nations.

Did Mubarak not steal elections (again) in Egypt the other day, making him ruler of Egypt for the past what, 30 years?

Yet, far from loud demands for Mubarak to ''step down'', Obama was there recently addressing their parliament and engaging in pleasant tete a tete with their leadership! They even took him on a tour of the pyramids!


Meanwhile, Nigeria seems to have become little more than a regional enforcer for western imperialism.

They are already talking of sending in troops to carry out the wishes of France and co.

The imperialists know they cannot use their own troops to enforce their will, so, like in the days of old, they'll get OTHER blacks to do their dirty job for them.

Tragic.

When you start thinking Nigerian men are the ugliest. . . . you see sth else.

Would he be less ''ugly'' to your dumb brain if he was light skinned?

ROSSIKE:

Would he be less ''ugly'' to your dumb brain if he was light skinned?

His skin color has nothing to do with it. Are you dealing with inferiority complex?
I wasnt even looking at his dudu amala skin.

@post

Interesting article.

Ileke Idi said:

Quote from: ROSSIKE on Today at 04:05:47 AM
Would he be less ''ugly'' to your dumb brain if he was light skinned?

His skin color has nothing to do with it. Are you dealing with inferiority complex?

Yeah. Yours!

I wasnt even looking at his dudu amala skin.

No need for that.

ROSSIKE:

Ileke Idi said:

Yeah. Yours!

No need for that.

If you think the dude foine, no be your own opinion.
Me I dey go sha. . . .

Sorry I don't do shallow-minded peeps.

ROSSIKE:

Sorry I don't do shallow-minded peeps.

on the 3rd reply. . . .

the issue of ivory coast is because most of the people talking about ivory coast, do not know anythin about it.

Youssouf Bakayoko the ivory coast electoral chairman  have a score to settle with gbogbo. The man call Gbogbo bomb Youssouf Bakayoko home town and killed many people. Youssouf Bakayoko is also a northerner like Ouattara.

in africa, the more you see the less you know. They could have tricked the UN envoy. And knowing africans. It can happen.
I honestly do not know if Ouattara won. I am not sure. But one thing I know many southerner have against Ouattara was the fact , he said he was moving back the capital to the north . the only way I see, peace in that place is if Ouattara  agree not to move the capital. This is where gbogbo get his support, if you remove that , he loss his supporters.

Wow!!! @ the article.

Wow. Americans.

A side question: Do they really want African unity?

Ileke-IdI:

Wow!!! @ the article.

Wow. Americans.

A side question: Do they really want African unity?

Umm . . . would you want to share your bf with another chic? Hell NO! It's a pity that even after WikiLeaks some people still believe they want the best for us.

The U.S. and the European Union only look out for their own interest, just like any other nation should. No nation in the world should believe in altruism.

Ochi_Agha:

The U.S. and the European Union only look out for their own interest, just like any other nation should. No nation in the world should believe in altruism.

True. But the manipulation is almost sickening. Just like the dirty deed they did in Paki/Afgan/Iraq/Iran.

slap1:

Umm . . . would you want to share your bf with another chic? Hell NO! It's a pity that even after WikiLeaks some people still believe they want the best for us.

Make him carry his chickenleg try am
Yea, because those ppl are ignorant.

slap1:

Umm . . . would you want to share your bf with another chic? Hell NO! It's a pity that even after WikiLeaks some people still believe they want the best for us.

From Wikileaks we saw how the British Govt through Shell manipulates our society and Fed Govt policies.
GEJ should not attempt sending our troops to go and do a dirty job for France in CIV. ECOWAS is also being manipulated by France and US using GEJ and knowing that we have an elections in 2011 and he would want to appear to preparing for credible elections.
We went to war in Liberia and Sierraleaone lost so many soldiers and even our journalists and resources and at the end we pulled out for the Europeans to go in and start mining Diamonds, timber and corper, next they will discover oil and gas and how many Nigerian conpanies are operating there today and repartriating money back home.
Outtara called for general strike and the citizens ignored totally and the western controlled media is not reporting that.
How can you have free and fair elections in an area controlled by rebels armed by France.
With the internet, the new generation of Africans are getting wiser and know that the western govts are only interested in continuing with their imperialism in Africa and we cant trust them in Ivory Coast.
The show us pictures of refugees in CIV to make us see Gbagbo as a devil when in fact they are the ones fanning the crisis.

You guys are not asking the right question. What's in it for us?

If our interests in CIV coincides with the french or any other imperialist, so be it. It's life, not fair.

No need to be reactive to the imperialists all the time. We only need to go against them if their interests are against ours, that is if we CAN.

If we don't have a couple of Apaches from the US we ain't moving into CIV. We should be planning a quick attack war dat would be over within 7 days Otherwise no show.

Whenever the pack of id!ots and failures in Ivory Coast fail, it becomes an issue of imperialism. Rubbish, it is high time the despotic Gbagbo was kicked out of the place by whatever means. If he dies, that his problem, he waded through a sea of blood in his rise to power on the back of ethnic bigotry.

Now he has lost elections, why can't he just go? His tenure in office ended 5 years ago for goodness sake!

What pains me most though, is the way some of us lose several IQ points when "Western imperialism" or similar terms are mentioned. Few have taken the time to even question the quality of the sham interviewer. Where on Earth would an unbiased pressman ask such a ridiculously leading question as the one below:

Excellency, you have just reminded us this reality: the gap, the difference between the turnout at the polls and the number of votes, with almost 630 000 extra votes. In France, we used to say, a few decades ago, when there were ballot stuffing in some suburbs, that even dead people were voting…Apparently, things are not so different,

I say, smoke Gbagbo out. Nobody should try fooling us with such stup!d "interviews."

i think GEJ should handle this ivorien crisis with caution. all this so called african leaders parading themselves like true democrats. how many of them can come out and beat their chest and say that they won a free and fair election in their own country. many of them have been in power for donkey years now. nigeria's election is fast approaching and the world is watching. today is gbabo's turn nobody knows whos turn it might be tomorrow.

Beaf:

Whenever the pack of id!ots and failures in Ivory Coast fail, it becomes an issue of imperialism. Rubbish, it is high time the despotic Gbagbo was kicked out of the place by whatever means. If he dies, that his problem, he waded through a sea of blood in his rise to power on the back of ethnic bigotry.

Now he has lost elections, why can't he just go? His tenure in office ended 5 years ago for goodness sake!

What pains me most though, is the way some of us lose several IQ points when "Western imperialism" or similar terms are mentioned. Few have taken the time to even question the quality of the sham interviewer. Where on Earth would an unbiased pressman ask such a ridiculously leading question as the one below:

I say, smoke Gbagbo out. Nobody should try fooling us with such stup!d "interviews."

Beaf,your obsession with GJ is becoming a disease. You don't have to support everything that has his face on it.

For the very first time i am agreeing with beaf on an issue. To be fear to him this has nothing to do with of our mediocre president but the whole region. GEJ's decision alone cannot over ride the decisions of 16 other presidents. People should put sentiments apart and view issues with open mind. Gagbo is a despot who stayed in power for five years illegally.

reckless:

For the very first time i am agreeing with beaf on an issue. To be fear to him this has nothing to do with of our mediocre president but the whole region. GEJ's decision alone cannot over ride the decisions of 16 other presidents. People should put sentiments apart and view issues with open mind. Gagbo is a despot who stayed in power for five years illegally.

How long is a presidential term in Ivory Coast and how many times can a person run? Also, how did he stay in power for 5 years illegally?i am unclear about that issue.

@ he postponed election five times under the guise of instability. The ideal thing is to handover power to the speaker of parlianment under the circumstance.

reckless:

@ he postponed election five times under the guise of instability. The ideal thing is to handover power to the speaker of parlianment under the circumstance.

I hope you are familiar of what has been going on in that country since 2002? If so, then you would restructure your thoughts.

@ ola. Pls educate me more incase my facts are deficient

why do all dictators hide under the cover of "the west hates us" to perpetuate themselves in power?

Ola edo:

Beaf,your obsession with GJ is becoming a disease. You don't have to support everything that has his face on it.

Don't keep giving the impression that you have no brains; do you know what ECOWAS is?
Do you think ECOWAS is a place in Abuja?

When you start thinking Nigerian men are the ugliest. . . . you see sth else

the man isnt ugly.


@ topic

na wa.

lord have mercy.

snowdrops:

why do all dictators hide under the cover of "the west hates us" to perpetuate themselves in power?

Don't mind the bastar'ds. Imagine a Gbagbo who found France to be a very safe place for his exile from 1982 to 1988. 6 bloody years he was in exile in France, but he loses an election and suddenly, the West is screwing his beautiful democracy and controlling Africans. Did he feel the same way throughout his 10 years in power?
One can only laugh at the shenanigans of a man driven to madness by power, he has become so mad that he will likely lose his life in the very near future.

The pedigree of an animal like Gbagbo is visible in the threats he made to attack Nigerian civilians in his country. What level of decency can such a "leader" have? Let him try it and see if he won't be dead within a week.

There is also the Ivorite policy, which is a form of apartheid in which Northern Ivorians are second class citizens. That policy has already led to a bloody civil war that divided the country in two. The country is yet to fully recover from that war, and now they must add a sit tight despot to that?

It is high time such disgraceful behaviour ended in Africa. Wetin JTF boys de wait?

My Take:

1)France has always hold the reins of power in all sub-saharan francophone countries, and Gbagbo (during his last 10 years in power) has done absolutely nothing to undermine France's authority
2)The West is  unduely interfering in the internal politics of Ivory Coast
3)The western countries have a point on why they are interfering - they monitored the election and can to a certain degree judge the level of electoral malpractices at different part of the country  
4)ECOWAS is not unduely interfering. According to the ECOWAS charter, any ECOWAAS member country concedes its sovereignty to the body
5)The situation in Ivory Coast is similar to /much more complex than the North-South divide we have in Nigeria. Majority of Northerners are naturalized immigrants and the South find it difficult to swallow the pill of 'immigrants' ruling them.
6) Having worked with them, Outarra is loved by the west.
7) We all know Outarra won but with Gbagbo controlling the juduciary, Outarra has got no chance in hell

Ola edo:

I highlighted the year the first coup attempt started because by that time he(gbagbo) had only been in office for 2 years.That alone shows you that what we are reading about in the media on a daily bases goes deeper than Gbagbo. To me it seems to be more of a problem that may be going on between the "people" rather that the president.That problem has been there and brewing befor Gbagbo.That is another reason why I believe the Ivorians are telling nigeria to stay out of their business that they can take care of themselves.

The page you pulled your stuff from has got the deeper reasons for the war in Ivory Coast, but you obviously have selective vision.

[img]http://media.voanews.com/images/300*300/colombant_ivory_coast_embassy_washington2_eng30dec10.JPG[/img]
In the meantime, while you make your lame brained arguments, ordinary Ivorian citizens the World over are siezing their embassies from Gbagbo's people. The latest embassy to fall is the one in Washington; http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/Ivory-Coast-Battle-Over-Embassies-Moves-to-Washington-112680784.html

Gbagbo's govt is a dead dog, and deservedly so.