European Parliament resolution on the situation in Côte d'Ivoire
24. 10. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 304/207 Thursday 20 January 2000 7. Côte d’Ivoire B5-0049, 0063, 0077 and 0087/2000 European Parliament resolution on the situation in Côte d’Ivoire The European Parliament, having regard to its previous resolutions on Côte d’Ivoire, having regard to the Declaration by the Council Presidency of 30 December 1999 on the situation in Côte d’Ivoire, A. mindful of the military coup d’état led by General Robert Guei, which deposed President Henri Kon Bedié on 24 December 1999, B. whereas a caretaker government was formed in the wake of the coup d’état; whereas the country’s new leaders have announced that new free and fair elections are to be organised, C. whereas the restoration of a democratic and legitimate system is crucial to further cooperation between the EU and Côte d’Ivoire; noting that on 7 January 2000 the Commission proposed to the Council that consultations commence with the ACP countries with a view to the possible suspension of cooperation with Côte d’Ivoire, pursuant to Article 366a of the Lomé Convention, D. whereas corruption is one of the most destabilising factors in African countries, E. whereas human rights abuses and military-led attempts to overthrow democratic institutions represent an ever-increasing danger in many West African countries; F. mindful of the fact that in July 1999 the summit of the Organisation for African Unity strongly con- demned military coups and advocated isolating régimes which had taken power by force, 1. Condemns the military coup d’état staged in Côte d’Ivoire on 24 December 1999; 2. Asks the caretaker government to heed the call by Ecowas and organise free and open elections in June 2000, with international observers present and reliable voter lists, with a view to restoring demo- cratic legitimacy to the institutions in Côte d’Ivoire; 3. Notes the willingness on the part of the new authorities to guarantee the safety of property and individuals, to restore state authority, to strengthen democracy and to defuse the ethnic tensions which have contributed to aggravating the situation in the country; urges the authorities in Côte d’Ivoire to hon- our these undertakings; Calls in particular for freedom of expression and respect for human rights in Côte d’Ivoire to be 4. guaranteed; 5. Stresses that the fight against corruption should be a priority in Côte d’Ivoire and a major objective of the EU-ACP partnership, with specific ACP-EU cooperation programmes being adopted to tackle the issue; 6. Notes the Commission’s proposal to the Council pursuant to Article 366a of the Lomé Convention and calls for consultations to commence between the EU and the ACP countries with a view to the poss- ible suspension of cooperation between the EU and Côte d’Ivoire; 7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, the ACP Council, the Secretary General of the OAU and the Co-Presidents of the ACP-EU Joint Assembly