Nigeria Content Online

An ECOWAS
delegation is expected to meet with U.S. President Barrack Obama and UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon this week on the political situation in
Cote d’Ivoire. The delegation is expected in Washington on Wednesday
and in New York on Thursday, a senior diplomatic source told the UN
Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in New
York. President Goodluck Jonathan who is ECOWAS’ chairman, nominated
the team which includes President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone,
President of ECOWAS Commission, Victor Gbeho and the Nigeria Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Odein Ajumogobia. Nigeria’s Ambassador to the U.S.,
Ade Adefuye, is also part of the team.

According to the
source, they are expected to meet with U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary
Clinton, on Wednesday after which they will proceed to the White House
for a meeting with Obama.

The delegation will
also on Thursday meet with Security Council members in New York to
update them on ECOWAS’ position and plans for Cote d‘Ivoire.

The UN, the AU and ECOWAS have, so far, failed in their efforts to
persuade Laurent Gbagbo to vacate the presidential palace for Alassane
Ouattara, the internationally-recognised winner of the Nov. 28
presidential run-off election. Four AU delegations have visited Abidjan
since Dec. 1, but failed to prevail on Mr. Gbagbo to step down. Mr.
Gbagbo has not only refused to step down, but has also demanded the
withdrawal of the nearly 9,000-strong UN Operation in Cote d’Ivoire.
The UN rejected the demand for the withdrawal of the Force which has
been supporting the stabilisation and reunification efforts in the
country in the past seven years. Last week, the Security Council
authorised the deployment of 2,000 additional troops for the mission in
Cote d’Ivoire, while ECOWAS has also threatened to use legitimate force
to get Mr. Gbagbo out.