The controversy going on around Ivory Coast’s presidential election results has attracted the attention of international observers including the United Nations, African Union, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) who have all urged for the preservation of peace, stability, and social cohesion in the country reported Anadolu Agency.
As per the official results, incumbent Alassane Ouattara received a staggering 94.27% of the vote in the Oct. 31 election, despite the opposition’s claim that his bid was an illegal attempt to hold onto power.
According to election officials, the total turnout was 53.9%, but the opposition has maintained only 10% of Ivorian voters took part.
Several people were killed in the West African country before, during, and after the election which was marked by a boycott from the opposition because of Alassane’s candidacy. Ivory Coast has a limit of two presidential terms, but Ouattara has insisted the new constitution approved in 2016 allowed him to run again.
In a joint statement released on Tuesday, the UN, AU, and the ECOWAS urged “those who made this appeal” to “reverse their decision, to respect the constitutional order and to privilege the path of dialogue to resolve any dispute.”
They urged everyone to refrain from declarations which might exacerbate an already very tense political situation.
The three organizations reaffirmed their support to Ivory Coast by creating conditions for political dialogue to find a peaceful resolution to the ongoing crisis.
Meanwhile, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said more than 3,200 people have fled Ivory Coast in the wake of violent clashes that have left at least a dozen people dead following its controversial presidential elections.
“As of 2 November, more than 3,200 Ivorian refugees had arrived in Liberia, Ghana, and Togo,” UNHCR said in a statement.
In 2010, violence after a disputed election won by Ouattara resulted in the deaths of over 3,000 people.
