Gbagbo lawyer denounces 'political' trial

by James Tweedie

Ousted Cote D’Ivoire president Laurent Gbagbo was the the victim of a French-backed coup, his defence told the International Criminal Court (ICC) yesterday.

Lawyer Emmanuel Altit told the court at The Hague in the Netherlands that Mr Gbagbo was working to restore democracy in his country when he was overthrown by supporters of current President Alassane Ouattara backed by French commandoes and mercenaries.

On Thursday Mr Gbagbo and his co-defendant Charles Ble Goude pleaded not guilty to four charges — including murder and rape allegedly committed by his supporters during violence that left 3,000 people dead after the disputed 2010 presidential election.

Prosecutors last week accused Gbagbo of unleashing violence to cling to office after losing a run-off to Mr Ouattara.

Mr Altit said that version of events was a "political narrative ... intended to justify the use of force against President Gbagbo."

Mr Gbagbo was overthrown by forces loyal to Rally of the Republicans candidate — and former International Monetary Fund deputy managing director — Mr Ouattara after months of street violence following the election.

On December 2 2010 Ivorian Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Chairman Youssouf Bakayoko announced Mr Ouattara’s victory — at his campaign headquarters with no other members of the IEC present.

Mr Bakayoko claimed that he went to that hotel to announce the results because "he felt it would not be safe for him to speak from the IEC headquarters".

But the Constitutional Council — the legitimate authority — declared Mr Gbagbo the winner after annulling votes from seven northern regions, claiming polling was marred by intimidation by Mr Outtara’s forces.

The UN, the US and European nations — most importantly former colonial occupier France — backed Mr Ouattara.

Attempts by former South African president Thabo Mbeki to mediate between the two sides failed.

On April 10 2011 Mr Ouattara’s militias attacked Mr Gbagbo’s residence in Abidjan. UN and French helicopters fired on heavy weapons inside the compound, ostensibly to prevent them from being used on those surrounding it.

The next day French commandoes stormed the building and seized Mr Gbagbo, handing him over to his enemies.

The African Union Summit in Addis Ababa over the weekend discussed Africa’s growing concerns with the ICC, which has been accused of only trying African leaders.

South African President Jacob Zuma indicated that his country would soon withdraw from the Rome Statute the basis of the court's athourity.

“Our strongly held view is that it is now impossible, under the circumstances, for South Africa to continue its participation in the Rome Statute," he said.

"South Africa is seriously reviewing its participation in the Rome Statute and will announce its decision in due course."

The mystery of the Guanches

The origins and language of the indigenous people of the Canary Islands remain a mystery, writes Dr Sabina Goralski Filonov Translation by James Tweedie The guanches, the aboriginals of the Canary Islands whose origin, lost in the mists of time, still arouses intense and passionate debate and great controversy about their origins and the how the seven Canary Islands were populated – which according to some studies occurred between 10,000 and 8,000 years BC. Literally, the word ‘Guan’ means man or person and ‘Chenech’ or ‘Chinet’ is applied to the island of Tenerife, thus meaning a man or inhabitant of Tenerife – although according to Núñez de la Peña, the Spanish named them the Guanchos during the conquest of the islands. But with the passage of time, experts in the subject are questioning whether the word Guanche was used to designate the primitive inhabitants of all the islands in the pre-Hispanic period. The term ‘Guanche’ has also ceased to be applied to the distin

Venezuela condemns MUD silence over terror attack

Venezuela’s foreign minister condemned the opposition and their foreign backers for their silence over Tuesday’s helicopter attack on the capital. At a press conference on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Samuel Moncada said Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) coalition leader Henry Ramos’ only comment on social media was that the attack was “useless.” “Firstly that does not condemn it,” Mr Moncada said. “Secondly it appears he was condemning it because it didn’t have the desired effect, that is to say, that it would blow up the building.” And he asked why fellow Mud leader Henrique Capriles lacked the “moral courage to... repudiate a terrorist act.” The newly-appointed minster and former ambassador to Britain accused fellow members of the Washington-based Organisation of American States of “feigning ignorance” and so protecting the culprits. And he accused sections of the media of portraying the culprit — Police investigator and one-time action film star Oscar Perez — as a “Rambo

Los Gigantes Beach Landslide Tragedy - Three Days of Mourning for Victims

SHATTERED IDYLL: Los Guios beach in Los Gigantes in happier times. SANTIAGO del Teide council declared three days of official mourning after two women were killed in a landslide on Los Gigantes beach on November 1. by James Tweedie The local authority announced the period of mourning following an emergency council meeting on Monday November 2, called in response to the tragic deaths of 57-year old British holidaymaker Marion O’Hara and 34-year old Canarian hotel worker Maria Vanesa Arias Romera. Flags at Santiago del Teide town hall were flown at half mast for the period of mourning, and all official functions observed a minute’s silence in memory of the victims. The two women were killed when 130-foot wide stretch of the cliffs above the tiny Los Guios beach collapsed from a height of about 200 feet, burying them beneath rubble up to 15 feet deep, according to a spokesman for the Guardia Civil which was conducting the investigation into the accident. The landslide occurred about 3pm

Ex-pats hail extinction of ‘mammoth’ development

Socialists and conservatives unite to defeat CC plan for Las Teresitas beach Protesters outside the town hall SAN ANDREAS residents are celebrating victory after Santa Cruz council voted to deny permission for a controversial development on Las Teresitas beach. by James Tweedie The Association of Friends of Anaga, Las Teresitas and its Coast (Asociacion de Amigos de la Playa de las Teresitas, Anaga y su Litoral), which includes a number of ex-patriots, mounted a demonstration outside Santa Cruz town hall on Friday September 18 to urge opposition councillors to “keep their word” and support a Socialist Party of the Canaries (PSC) motion against the mammoth development. Some wore long paper ‘noses’ and chanted “concejal Pinocho” – councillor Pinocchio – to express their distrust of local politicians. A coalition of small businesses in Anaga, the Friends of the Port group and environmentalists Ben Magec – Ecologistas en Accion also supported the campaign against the scheme

Venezuelan opposition declares "Zero Hour" for regime change

Venezuela’s opposition declared “Zero Hour” in its putsch against the socialist government on Monday — emboldened by US support. Leaders of the Democratic Unity Roundtable (Mud) coalition gathered for the announcement of their takeover plan a day after their unauthorised referendum seeking a mandate for regime change. National Assembly vice-president and Popular Will (VP) acting leader Freddy Guevara said the Mud-controlled parliament would announce the results of the plebiscite on Tuesday. It asked voters to reject President Nicolas Maduro’s calling of a constitutional reform assembly demand the army support the opposition and back a “national unity government.” But before the announcement of the result Mr Guevara said the national Assembly would form a new government on Tuesday — a move beyond its constitutional powers — along with 1,020 local “Zero Hour committees.” He called a “national general strike” for Thursday while on Friday the assembly would again exceed its powe

Search This Blog