News
ALN President, Minister Lamine Bâ, and UK Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg MP, have written to congratulate Dr Alassane Dramane Ouattara on finally taking up his rightful position as President of Côte d’Ivoire.
Dr Lamine Bâ congratulated Dr Ouattara for having overcome the post-electoral crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, praising his tolerance and patience following the November 2010 elections.
The ALN President, who also serves as Minister for International and Humanitarian Affairs in Senegal, welcomed the Ivorian President’s on-going commitment to democracy and liberalism, values which have been strengthened on the African continent thanks to RDR.
Nick Clegg said that he was “proud that we in the Liberal Democrats have given the RDR our support both through our Westminster Foundation for Democracy programme and through Liberal International.”
The Liberal Democrat leader welcomed the commitment to a fair trial for Mr Gbagbo, and to ensure that those guilty of crimes are held accountable. He added that “this will be important in laying the foundations for reconciliation and moving Côte d’Ivoire forward towards a stable and prosperous future.”
Both Liberal leaders assured President Ouattara that their respective parties and governments would continue to provide their full support for the new Ivorian leader as he starts the important task of reunifying the country.
Rassemblement des Républicains, the party led by President Ouattara, are founding members of the Africa Liberal Network. They hosted the inaugural ALN Gender Workshop in Abidjan in 2009, and are represented on the ALN Executive Committee by National Secretary, Mme Kaba Yaya Fofana. RDR are also full members of Liberal International, who sent a delegation to Abidjan in support of Dr Ouattara in November 2010.