Good-bye, Mr. Gbagbo

Good-bye, Mr. Gbagbo. You must have known your days were numbered, but this weekend looks to be the end point in your effort to stay in power in Ivory Coast.

You were a candidate seeking re-election as president, and your supporters were loyal for three long months after the election results put you in jeopardy. But in the end, the international community won.

Of course, when things started, with the 50-50 election and the international observers saying you had lost fair and square, the UN and its leading lights weren’t too smart and almost handed you an unexpected victory. If they had had the common sense to call you and Mr. Outtarra to a conference in Europe or New York, they could have brokered a legitimate settlement. It was not as if you had stolen the election outright (as the Belarus candidate did) but there were serious questions to be resolved. A little wisdom from the UN and everything would have been settled without bloodshed and civil war. But, nobody ever said that the UN is wise.

So, now, what will you do? Rally your supporters and begin a long guerrilla war, as has often happened in your country, or go peacefully to some safe haven? In Ivory Coast, guerrilla war has often been the choice in the past because there are serious divisions in the country, tribal and political, and they will not go away simply because Outtarra’s troops have won.  

Now is the time to show yourself something of a statesman and not just another warlord. Admit defeat. Rally your supporters to help re-build the country. Work for economic and social improvement. Outtarra would probably not say no to such an offer, because, at the end of the day, he represents just about the same percentage of Ivorians as you do.

Why not try, just once, to think of the people, of the future, of Africa. You might be surprised at the good you could do.