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| Monica Mark/IRIN United Nations peacekeepers guard t he hotel which is the base of operations for Alassane Ouattara, regarded by the African Union and the UN as the legitimate president of Cote d'Ivoire. |
The African Union (AU) on Sunday explained that it suspended use of legitimate force to oust former President of Cote d'Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo, to give more room for peaceful negotiation and to avoid blood-letting.
The Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mr Jean Ping, gave the explanation at a media briefing in Adddis Ababa, venue of the ongoing 16th AU Summit.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the AU Peace and Security Council on Friday set up a panel that would find a lasting solution to the political crisis in Cote d'Ivoire.
President Goodluck Jonathan is a member of the six-member AU panel in his capacity as the Chairman of ECOWAS.
At the briefing, Ping commended ECOWAS, under the leadership of Jonathan, for the efforts made so far in resolving the political stalemate in Cote d'Ivoire. (NAN)