20110125
Xinhua
LAGOS, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- An Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) delegation is expected to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon this week on the political situation in Cote d'Ivoire.

The high-powered delegation is expected in Washington on Wednesday and in New York on Thursday.

Nigerian 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 Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs Odein Ajumogobia.

Nigerian Ambassador to the United States Ade Adefuye is also part of the team.

The delegation 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 UN Security Council members in New York to update them on ECOWAS's position and plans for Cote d'Ivoire.

The UN, the African Union (AU) and ECOWAS have, so far, failed in their efforts to persuade Laurent Gbagbo to hand over power to Alassane Ouattara, the internationally-recognized winner of the Nov. 28 presidential run-off election.

Four AU delegations have visited Abidjan since Dec. 1, but failed to prevail on Gbagbo to step down.

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 stabilization and reunification efforts in the country in the past seven years.

Last week, the Security Council authorized 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 Gbagbo out.

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

After the run-off elections, 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.