In an exclusive interview with euronews Laurent Gbagbo began by blaming France for the current political problems in the Ivory Coast.

The West African regional economic group ECOWAS has sent three diplomats back to Ivory Coast to try once again to persuade incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo to relinquish power. But Gbagbo seems determined to hold on to his post despite being internationally recognised as the loser in elections last month.
 
“The EU follows France. In relations between the great powers today, everyone has their area of influence. And when it comes to speaking about the countries of Black Africa, when France talks everyone follows. France interferes in the worst possible way. For all the UN resolutions on the Ivory Coast it was France who wrote the draft. We have disputed this several times,” Gbagbo said.
 
 “The country is divided and there is talk of a civil war,” euronews reporter Francois Chignon pointed out.
 
“I do not think about a civil war. But obviously, if the pressures continue we could end up in a civil war, a confrontation,” replied Gbagbo.
 
Francois Chignon asked: “If the violence continues will you leave office?”
 
“If I said I would leave office right now, who could provide an assurance that it would bring peace and that it would not bring even greater violence than we feared?” came the answer.
 
The full interview with Laurent Gbagbo will be aired on Friday and this week end.
 
 
 
 
 

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