Susan Rice, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, released the following statement on Monday after former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbabgo was arrested by French authorities:
“The United States welcomes the end of former President Laurent Gbabgo’s illegitimate claim to power in Cote d’Ivoire. As the international community has said repeatedly, the people of Cote d’Ivoire deserve peace and democracy. They deserve a government that recognizes their fundamental human rights and respects their will. And they deserve to return to the path of prosperity and security. That opportunity begins today.
As the Ivorian government and people work to move beyond the recent crisis, the United States will stand with them. We are ready to help Cote d’Ivoire recover and rebuild, and will support UN efforts to carry on its important peacekeeping and humanitarian work. The United States commends the UN Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI) and French forces for the robust implementation of their mandate to protect civilians pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1975, and we will continue to strongly support their efforts in this regard.
The U.S. remains profoundly concerned about and condemns persistent violations of fundamental human rights. We support President Alassane Ouattara’s affirmation of the need to investigate those who have perpetrated attacks against civilians. All parties should be aware that the actions of their supporters will be scrutinized, alleged human rights abuses and attacks against civilians will be investigated, and perpetrators will be held accountable without regard to which side they may have been aligned.”