20101227
africanews

Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara has called for a nationwide general strike from Monday to paralyse the country until incumbent Laurent Gbagbo cedes power. The country has faced a violent political impasse since a presidential election last month, which was intended to heal the scars of a 2002-2003 civil war but has instead triggered bloodshed between the rival camps.

A similar call for civil disobedience last week by Ouattara's rival government Prime Minister Guillaume Soro was not largely followed but an attempt by Ouattara supporters to seize the state broadcaster RTI, ended with at least 20 deaths as pro-Ouattara rebels exchanged fire with government soldiers.

The turmoil has sent cocoa futures to four-month highs, while the country's Eurobond has dipped to a record low on concern the government will miss a $30 million bond payment December 31.

It was not immediately clear if operations at the port of Abidjan and San Pedro, through which much of Ivory Coast's cocoa is shipped, had been affected by the strike call.

Road traffic in Abidjan was normal on Monday, the day before a visit by three west African heads of state sent by regional organisation ECOWAS to urge Gbagbo to quit. ECOWAS has threatened to use force if Gbagbo does not relinquish power.

International pressure has piled on Gbagbo to step down after the November 28 election, which the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, the African Union and West African regional bloc ECOWAS all say Ouattara won.

Provisional election results showed an Ouattara victory but the results were overturned by a court led by a Gbagbo ally.