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Submitted by unname1 on Wed, 04/13/2011 - 15:48
The European Union announced a recovery package of 180 million euros for the Ivory Coast on April 12 as residents of the African nation attempted to adjust to life with a clear leader and relative stability after months of bloodshed.

Forces arrested former President Laurent Gbagbo after storming his residence on Monday. Gbagbo defied calls to step down after an electoral commission declared he lost a presidential election in November to Alassane Ouattara. Ouattara has been recognized internationally as the legitimate winner.

A violent power struggle followed the standoff, with supporters loyal to both sides taking to the streets in protests since December. Hundreds have been killed, according to the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Andris Piebalgs, EU commissioner for development, announced the recovery package on Tuesday.

The funding will provide support to ensure basic needs for citizens such as health, water, sanitation and to support the agricultural sector, Piebalgs said in a statement. It also will clear the Ivory Coast's debt accumulated through the European Investment Bank.

Top military brass pledged their support to Ouattara in a ceremony Tuesday at a hotel in Abdijan. Gen. Phillipe Mangou, Gbagbo's former army chief of staff, said on state television that the generals were received by Ouattara and given orders to take measures to restore order in the country.

All security personnel should rejoin their posts Wednesday morning, Mangou said, to help the country return to normal. He also appealed to citizens who participated in the unrest to lay down their weapons and return to work, saying that those who fail to do so will be considered outlaws.

 

CNN/VOVNews

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