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The recent history of Cote d'Ivoire has been full of twists and turns that would befit a Frederick Forsyth novel. Unfortunately, these are real events and people have been losing their lives.
A central character that emerged from the confusion that gripped the country following the death in 1993 of longtime president Felix Houphouet Boigny is Guillaume Soro. Beginning as a student leader, he rallied students against authorities. His power to mobilize mobs won him a place in the government of president Laurent Gbagbo.
Co-opted by Alassane Ouattara, Soro was made Prime minister. But there is a gentleman's agreement between the the party of one former president, Konan Bedie (RHDP) and the current ruling RDR party to give the Prime ministry to the RHDP. Soro has good control of the military and was instrumental in obtaining victory for Mr Ouattara against Laurent Gbagbo in the post presidential election violence that occurred after the November 28th 2010 presidential elections.
Now, the continued presence of Guillaume Soro as Prime Minister and head of the Military places Mr Alassane Outtara in a dangerous position. Everyone knows Soro wants to rule the country. This ambition is thinly veiled, and the Ouattara camp has been hard at work looking for ways to take Guillaume Soro out of the equation.
Their strategy seems to finally have fallen into place. This week, Luis Moreno Ocampo, the lead prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal in the Hague is in Cote d'Ivoire to investigate cases of atrocities committed in the post electoral hostilities. Speaking on Saturday the 15th of October 2011 in Abidjan, he said his team will look into incidents as early as 2002, and there will be about 3 to 6 big fish to be dragged to the International Criminal Court.
Those who already know they will have to make an appearance at the court include, Laurent Gbagbo, former president, his wife, Simone Gbagbo, the former minister of youths, Charles Ble Goude, also known as the "street General".
A big question is who else is going to be indicted? Guillaume Soro seems a likely candidate, for that seems to be the only way to take him out of the country and give some serenity to president Alassane Outtara.
Mr Soro has also said he will be resigning from his post to stand for parliamentary elections on the 11th of December 2011. There is some talk that he may want to form a political party in the future and run for president thereafter. With his military connections, he will be unstoppable.
The chess game that is going on in Abidjan right now is intricate and has to be watched closely, for it will show the path to keeping the covers on populist power hungry men like Guillaume Soro and others of his ilk like Julius Malema of South Africa.
The recent history of Cote d'Ivoire has been full of twists and turns that would befit a Frederick Forsyth novel. Unfortunately, these are real events and people have been losing their lives.
A central character that emerged from the confusion that gripped the country following the death in 1993 of longtime president Felix Houphouet Boigny is Guillaume Soro. Beginning as a student leader, he rallied students against authorities. His power to mobilize mobs won him a place in the government of president Laurent Gbagbo.
Co-opted by Alassane Ouattara, Soro was made Prime minister. But there is a gentleman's agreement between the the party of one former president, Konan Bedie (RHDP) and the current ruling RDR party to give the Prime ministry to the RHDP. Soro has good control of the military and was instrumental in obtaining victory for Mr Ouattara against Laurent Gbagbo in the post presidential election violence that occurred after the November 28th 2010 presidential elections.
Now, the continued presence of Guillaume Soro as Prime Minister and head of the Military places Mr Alassane Outtara in a dangerous position. Everyone knows Soro wants to rule the country. This ambition is thinly veiled, and the Ouattara camp has been hard at work looking for ways to take Guillaume Soro out of the equation.
Their strategy seems to finally have fallen into place. This week, Luis Moreno Ocampo, the lead prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal in the Hague is in Cote d'Ivoire to investigate cases of atrocities committed in the post electoral hostilities. Speaking on Saturday the 15th of October 2011 in Abidjan, he said his team will look into incidents as early as 2002, and there will be about 3 to 6 big fish to be dragged to the International Criminal Court.
Those who already know they will have to make an appearance at the court include, Laurent Gbagbo, former president, his wife, Simone Gbagbo, the former minister of youths, Charles Ble Goude, also known as the "street General".
A big question is who else is going to be indicted? Guillaume Soro seems a likely candidate, for that seems to be the only way to take him out of the country and give some serenity to president Alassane Outtara.
Mr Soro has also said he will be resigning from his post to stand for parliamentary elections on the 11th of December 2011. There is some talk that he may want to form a political party in the future and run for president thereafter. With his military connections, he will be unstoppable.
The chess game that is going on in Abidjan right now is intricate and has to be watched closely, for it will show the path to keeping the covers on populist power hungry men like Guillaume Soro and others of his ilk like Julius Malema of South Africa.
