国际英语新闻：ECOWAS issues communique over Cote d'Ivoire, urging Gbagbo to give up power

ABUJA, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Friday urged Cote d'Ivoire's incumbent Laurent Gbagbo to step down and vowed the use of legitimate force if Gbagbo fails to heed the immutable demand of ECOWAS, according to the final communique of the extraordinary session of the heads of state and government on Cote d'Ivoire.

The heads of state expressed deep concern over the unacceptable high number of lives lost since Dec. 7 and warned all those responsible that they will face international trial for human rights violations at the earliest opportunity, the communique said.

They demanded the immediate and peaceful handover of power by Gbagbo to the president-elect Alassane Ouattara and expressed support for the travel ban, freeze on financial assets and all other forms of targeted sanctions imposed by regional institutions and the international community on Gbagbo and his associates, according to the communique.

A picture of a TV screen shows Ivory Coast strongman Laurent Gbagbo delivering a speech in which he insisted he remains the country's true president, in his first televised address since a violent political crisis erupted over vote results.

It warned that if Gbagbo fails to heed this immutable demand of ECOWAS, the community would be left with no alternative but to take other measures, including the use of legitimate force to achieve the goals of the Ivorian people.

The ECOWAS heads of state and government also decided to dispatch a special high-level delegation to Cote d'Ivoire to urge Gbagbo to make a peaceful exit.

The heads of state also instructed the president of the ECOWAS Commission to convene without delay a meeting of the Committee of chiefs of Defense Staff in order to plan future actions, including the provision of security along the Cote d'Ivoire-Liberia border, in the event that their message is not heeded, the communique said.

Heads of state and representatives from ECOWAS countries and representative from the African Union attended the special meeting on Friday at the Presidential Wing of the Abuja Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

ECOWAS suspended Cote d'Ivoire from the regional bloc over the country's electoral dispute on Dec. 7 and recognized Ouattara as the winner of the country's presidential run-off.

After the run-off held on Nov. 28, Ouattara was declared winner by the electoral commission while the Constitutional Council, which has the final say on the results, said Gbagbo won the vote. Gbagbo did not heed the international request and stayed on power, leading to a political standoff and the West African country was put at the real risk of a civil war.

Cote d'Ivoire was divided after the country's 2002-2003 civil war.