Ivory Coast Cocoa Ban Stays If Gbagbo Remains, Ouattara Tells FT

Feb. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Alassane Ouattara, the internationally recognized winner of Ivory Coast’s Nov. 28 presidential election, has pledged to extend a one-month ban on cocoa exports should incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo have not left power by the time the restriction ends on Feb. 23, the Financial Times reported, citing an interview.

“If Mr Gbagbo leaves, of course the ban will be removed,” Ouattara said, according to the FT. “If he stays on, I just think the ban will continue,” the newspaper reported Ouattara as saying.

(Source: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-02-13/ivory-coast-cocoa-ban-stays-if-gbagbo-remains-ouattara-tells-ft.html)