Security expert warns international community from removing Gbagbo

Emmanuel Bombande believes any attempts to remove Gbagbo by force will be strongly resisted by loyalists

Security expert and Executive Director of the West Africa Network for Peace Building, Emmanuel Bombande has warned the international community of dire consequences should it embark on removing Laurent Gbagbo forcefully from office.

Mr. Bombande told Joy News/b> that the Presidential Guard of Ivory Coast remains loyal to Mr Gbagbo and any attempts to forcefully remove him will be strongly resisted by that group of the army.

“When you look at the reality on the ground and you appreciate that the Ivorian Armed Forces, particularly the Presidential Guard, has maintained loyalty to President Gbagbo, then what it means is an attempt to remove him by force will then encounter an urban battle with the Presidential Guard supported by other elements of the Ivorian army.

“At the end of the day it will be bloody and it will cause a lot in the destruction of human lives and property,” he warned.

Mr Bombande further advised the Ghanaian government to warn its citizens from travelling to Ivory Coast as is being done by other international countries.

The security expert said it was incumbent on the government to ensure its citizens' safety and avoid a situation where Ghanaians would be stranded in the event of a worsening of the crisis.

Mr. Bombande added that "...it's not because they themselves (the international community) are suggesting that war is the ultimate but they are saying [that] looking at the situation on the ground, it is not good for their citizens to be there...and because we have many Ghanaians in Cote d'Ivoire, it is in my view the correct policy to begin to advise Ghanaians [that] you should leave.”