Three days after leading a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expressing “deep concern” for the situation in Cote d’Ivoire and calling on former President Laurent Gbagbo to resign, Senator Coons talked with C-SPAN Radio’s Steve Scully Monday afternoon to discuss news of Gbagbo’s arrest.
You can listen to interview by clicking here. The segment starts at 40:25 and runs a little under nine minutes long.
Senator Coons — Chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs — was joined on the letter by Ranking Member Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), and Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday to express “deep concern” for the crisis in Cote d’Ivoire. The Senators were joined on the letter by Senators Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.).
“We are unified in calling for an immediate end to violence and protection for innocent civilians,” the Senators wrote. “We call on former President Laurent Gbagbo to immediately step down, and we urge you to work with the international community to ensure his safe departure from Cote d’Ivoire.”
“Mr. Gbagbo has been accused of forcefully thwarting the will of the Ivoirian people, and his forces, reportedly including mercenaries, have been accused of targeting innocent civilians, including women, as well as the United Nations mission,” the Senators wrote. “This violence must stop, and we must continue to strongly support international efforts to eliminate the heavy weapons assaults. We must also support coordinated international efforts to assist the tens of thousands of Ivorian refugees and protect civilians, peacekeepers, and members of the diplomatic community.”